Bihar’s BJP state president and Deputy Chief Minister, Samrat Chaudhary, immersed himself in the Sarayu River on Wednesday, July 3, upon reaching Ayodhya, the revered city associated with Lord Ram. Addressing the media about his turban, he reiterated his intention to dedicate it to Lord Ram.
#WATCH | Uttar Pradesh | Bihar deputy CM & BJP state president Samrat Choudhary says, "I took a dip in Saryu river. I'll devote this turban that I had for the last 22 months to lord Ram." https://t.co/DdhszqqQa6 pic.twitter.com/66VRAIMje7
— ANI (@ANI) July 3, 2024
This symbolic act marked the fulfillment of his pledge, which he had announced earlier when he stated: “I had pledged to wear this turban until I achieved Nitish Kumar’s resignation as the Chief Minister. Now that he has rejoined the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) after stepping down from the INDI alliance, it’s time for me to dedicate this turban to Lord Ram. The moment Nitish Kumar resigned from the INDI alliance and rejoined the NDA, I decided to fulfill my promise to Lord Ram.”
#WATCH | Uttar Pradesh | Bihar deputy CM & BJP state president Samrat Choudhary offers prayers at Hanuman Garhi temple, in Ayodhya.
The Bihar deputy CM to devote his turban to lord Ram. pic.twitter.com/wLoFZQJ2KD
— ANI (@ANI) July 3, 2024
Before leaving for Ayodhaya he said, “I am impressed by the welcome and congratulations given by party workers and supporters in Sonpur, as part of the journey to the holy land of Lord Sri Ram in Ayodhya.”
प्रभु श्री राम की पावन धरती अयोध्याधाम जाने के क्रम में सोनपुर में पार्टी कार्यकर्ताओं एवं समर्थकों द्वारा किए गए स्वागत एवं अभिनंदन से अभिभूत हूँ।
सभी का आभार। pic.twitter.com/w0R8N9X1ZV
— Samrat Choudhary (@samrat4bjp) July 2, 2024
Chaudhary recalled his commitment made during exchanges with Kumar in the Legislative Assembly in July 2023. When questioned by Kumar about the turban, Chaudhary explained that he had vowed to wear it until Kumar was ousted from power.
Nitish Kumar had previously served as the Chief Minister under the Mahagathbandhan alliance, which included the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and the Congress party. In January 2024, ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, Kumar resigned from his CM post and rejoined the NDA, subsequently taking oath as the Chief Minister of Bihar for a record ninth time under the NDA government. Samrat Chaudhary and Vinay Kumar Sinha were sworn in as ministers and later appointed Deputy Chief Ministers of Bihar. Chaudhary, reflecting on his journey, expressed that his vow was made during an emotional moment.
Notably, Chaudhary’s political career began with the RJD, where he served as a minister before moving to the JD(U), holding various positions. He joined the BJP in 2018 and has since served as the state BJP chief and leader of opposition in the Bihar Legislative Council.