Pushpam Priya Choudhary: How The UK-Educated Leader Is Transforming Bihar Politics Beyond Caste And Religion

Returning from the United Kingdom, the daughter of a former legislator aims to transform Bihar's traditional political landscape. Pushpam Priya Choudhary, founder of 'The Plurals Party' in 2020, envisions introducing politics that moves beyond religious and caste divisions. With her international education, this young emerging leader brings fresh perspective to the 2025 Bihar Assembly Elections, attempting to merge her progressive ideas with her vision for change. She is currently a candidate from Darbhanga constituency in these elections.

In 2020, Choudhary made a dramatic political debut by declaring herself as her party's chief ministerial candidate. Known for her distinctive black clothing and face mask, she has made a public commitment to continue wearing her mask until she achieves electoral success.

Pushpam Priya Choudhary comes from a politically connected family. Her father, Vinod Kumar Choudhary, served as a JDU lawmaker from Darbhanga. Her grandfather, Professor Umakant Choudhary, was not only a close associate of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar but also helped establish the Samata Party. Her uncle, Vinay Kumar Choudhary, represents JDU and won the Benipur seat in the 2020 assembly elections.

Born on June 13, 1987, she completed her early education in Darbhanga before pursuing undergraduate studies in Pune. Her academic journey then took her to the United Kingdom, where she earned master's degrees in development studies from the University of Sussex and in public administration from the prestigious London School of Economics in 2019.

Prior to launching her political career, she gained professional experience as a consultant for Bihar government's tourism and health departments.

On March 8, 2020, Choudhary founded 'The Plurals Party' with the ambitious goal of uniting Bihar's diverse population for development beyond traditional caste and religious divisions. She announced her arrival on the political scene with full-page advertisements in major Hindi and English newspapers, declaring herself as the chief ministerial candidate.

Reports indicate she initially intended to contest all 243 assembly seats in 2020. However, due to registration delays and other challenges, her party could field candidates in only 148 constituencies, including some independent candidates. She has taken a firm stance against caste and religion-based politics, notably listing her candidates' race rather than caste, and identifying "Bihar" instead of religious affiliation in nomination papers.

For the 2025 elections, The Plurals Party has fielded candidates for all 243 seats, with half reserved for women candidates. The party has received the 'city' symbol for electoral representation. Choudhary has submitted her nomination from Darbhanga, which she believes lacks effective opposition. In her conversation with NDTV, she expressed concern about declining political standards and advocated for more educated leaders in the opposition.

Choudhary campaigns for the 2025 Bihar elections with distinctive messaging on social media and in person. She explains that her party's name reflects its inclusive ideology: "Plural means people of all castes and religions should rule together." When questioned about the complexity of the party name, she responded, "In the past, people couldn't even pronounce Congress and Communist. I am different; we have our own ideology."

Regarding her distinctive black attire, she explained, "I wear black because I don't know why politicians wear white," while reaffirming her commitment to wearing a mask until achieving electoral victory.

In her assessment of national political figures, Choudhary considers Akhilesh Yadav a "more serious leader" than Rahul Gandhi, and describes Nitish Kumar as the "best Chief Minister ever." She also offered the view that Prashant Kishor should continue as a strategist rather than transitioning to a leadership role.