In a significant political development, senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and nine-time legislator Prem Kumar is set to be unanimously elected as the new Speaker of the Bihar Legislative Assembly. The election, scheduled for Tuesday, is now a mere formality as no opposition candidate filed a nomination against the veteran leader.
A Unanimous Path to the Speaker's Chair
The 70-year-old politician's name was proposed for the prestigious post by members of the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) on Monday. Prem Kumar was the sole legislator to file a nomination before the deadline, with neither the ruling coalition nor the opposition INDIA bloc putting forward a contender. An assembly official confirmed that given the NDA's commanding majority of 202 members in the 243-seat house, Kumar's election will proceed smoothly.
A Storied Political Career
Prem Kumar filed his nomination papers in the presence of Deputy Chief Ministers Samrat Choudhary and Vijay Kumar Sinha, alongside senior JD(U) leader and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Vijay Kumar Choudhary. The event also saw a show of solidarity from junior NDA partners, including Raju Tiwari of the LJP-RV and Madhaw Anand of the RLM.
Kumar's political journey is deeply rooted in Bihar. A holder of a PhD in History and an LLB from Magadh University, he has held several key ministerial portfolios over the decades. His experience includes leading departments such as:
- Public Health Engineering
- Road Construction
- Urban Development
- Agriculture
- Environment, Forest and Climate Change
In the previous government, he served as the Cabinet Minister for the Co-operative Department. He also served as the Leader of the Opposition from 2015 to 2017, showcasing his understanding of legislative proceedings from both sides of the aisle.
An Unbreakable Constituency Fortress
Prem Kumar's political strength is most evident in his home constituency. He has represented Gaya Town continuously since 1990, never facing defeat in nine consecutive assembly elections. His latest victory in the 2025 polls was decisive; he secured 90,878 votes, defeating Congress candidate Akhaury Onkar Nath by a significant margin of 26,423 votes. His enduring popularity, particularly among the Extremely Backward Class (EBC) communities, has cemented his position as a formidable force in Bihar's political landscape.
His unanimous election as Speaker marks a new chapter in his extensive career, placing him in a pivotal role to oversee the proceedings of the Bihar Legislative Assembly. The move is seen as a strategic one by the NDA, leveraging his vast experience and cross-party respect to ensure the smooth functioning of the House.
