PATNA: The Bihar BJP on Thursday removed posters outside its state office featuring Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary as the next Chief Minister (CM) of the state, asserting that it was unaware who had put them up.
The posters displayed a photograph of Choudhary along with the slogan: "This is the call of the Valmiki Samaj Sangh: Let there be a Samrat government in Bihar. We have extended every possible support to the BJP; let the contract system be abolished under your administration."
The posters appeared shortly before Chief Minister Nitish Kumar left Patna for Delhi. Security personnel stationed at the BJP office, along with some party workers, removed the posters soon after they were displayed.
Commenting on the episode, Bihar BJP media in-charge Danish Iqbal said, "I have no knowledge who put up the poster or who tore it down." He added that he was also unaware of the objective behind it and maintained that those responsible for putting up the poster had no affiliation with the BJP.
Meanwhile, the Bihar Congress highlighted the incident on its X account, suggesting that the torn posters reflected differences of opinion within the BJP regarding Choudhary’s potential elevation to the post of Chief Minister.
Earlier in the day, Nitish Kumar, along with JD(U) national working president Sanjay Kumar Jha, left for New Delhi. Kumar is expected to take oath as a member of the Upper House on Friday.
Samrat Choudhary is considered one of the frontrunners in the race for the next Chief Minister. Other names being speculated include Union Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai, Bihar Assembly Speaker Prem Kumar, Deputy CM Vijay Kumar Sinha, BJP MLA from Digha Sanjeev Kumar Chaurasia, former state minister Janak Ram, state industries minister Dilip Jaiswal, and BJP MLA from Aurai, Rama Nishad. State sports minister Shreyasi Singh is also being considered for the top post.