India, April 14 -- Samrat Choudhary from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will be the new chief minister of Bihar. For the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in the state, which has held power for roughly 16 out of the past 21 years, this is a moment of both continuity and change. Continuity, because the alliance continues to enjoy political dominance, and its principal political rival, the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) remains in disarray. Change, because the BJP and not the Janata Dal (United) will now lead the government. The ideological significance of the latter cannot be over-emphasised.

Nitish Kumar won power in Bihar in 2005, after the BJP had lost it at the Centre in 2004. The success in dislodging Lalu Prasad's 15-year-old regime ...