Pushpam Priya Choudhary: The Emerging Bihar Leader Who Wears Only Black And A Mask

Back from the United Kingdom, the daughter of a former lawmaker aspires to bring a big change in the traditional political landscape of Bihar. Pushpam Priya Choudhary, who founded 'The Plurals Party' in 2020, wants to introduce the state to a new brand of politics that transcends religious and caste lines. An emerging young leader with foreign education, she brings new energy to the 2025 Bihar Assembly Elections, trying to blend her views with her aspirations for change. She is contesting from Darbhanga in the 2025 Bihar Assembly elections.

In 2020, she announced her entry into politics with a mega declaration: that she was her party's chief ministerial candidate. Seen only in black attire and a mask, she has reiterated her vow that she would remove her mask only after she wins an election.

Family And Education

Pushpam Priya Choudhary is the daughter of Vinod Kumar Choudhary, a former JDU lawmaker from Darbhanga. Her grandfather, Professor Umakant Choudhary, was a close associate of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and one of the founding members of the Samata Party. Her uncle, Vinay Kumar Choudhary, is a JDU leader who won from Benipur in the 2020 assembly elections.

Pushpam Priya before a portrait of her father (L); she files her nomination (R)

Born on June 13, 1987, Choudhary completed her schooling in Darbhanga before moving to Pune for graduation. She then pursued her higher education in the UK. She earned master's degrees in development studies from the University of Sussex and in public administration from the London School of Economics in 2019.

Before entering politics, she worked as a consultant in the Bihar government's tourism and health departments.

Entry Into Politics

Pushpam Priya Choudhary founded 'The Plurals Party' on March 8, 2020, in a bold move to unite the people for development, transcending religious and caste lines, in Bihar's traditional political landscape dominated by caste and communal politics. In front-page advertisements in all major newspapers in English and Hindi, she declared herself as the chief ministerial candidate of her party.

Some accounts suggest she initially wanted to contest all 243 seats in 2020, but due to delays in the registration of her party and other factors, her party could contest only 148. This also comprised some independents. She openly opposed caste and religion-based politics, and highlighted her candidates' race instead of their caste, and mentioned "Bihar" instead of their religion in their nomination papers.

2025 Elections

The Plurals Party is contesting all 243 seats this time, with half the seats reserved for women. The party has been awarded the 'city' symbol. Pushpam Priya Choudhary has filed her nomination from Darbhanga, which she said lacks an opposition. The level of politics has fallen drastically, she told NDTV, hoping for more educated leaders in the opposition.

Pushpam Priya Choudhary campaigns for the 2025 Bihar elections (Instagram/pushpampc13)

She also explained that the name of her party reflects the people's issues. "Plural means people of all castes and religions should rule together." But isn't it a difficult name in regular discourse? "In the past, people couldn't even pronounce Congress and Communist. I am different; we have our own ideology," she said.

She also spoke about her all-black attire and the mask vow. "I wear black because I don't know why politicians wear white," she said, reiterating her vow to wear a mask until she tastes victory in electoral politics.

Among her latest takes on national politics were that she finds Akhilesh Yadav a "more serious leader" than Rahul Gandhi, and Nitish Kumar is the "best Chief Minister ever". Prashant Kishor should remain a strategist and not aspire to become a leader, she said.