Who is Pushpam Priya? The emerging Bihar leader who wears only black and a mask

Pushpam Priya Choudhary (X/@pushpampc13)

Back from the United Kingdom and determined to reshape Bihar’s political landscape, Pushpam Priya Chaudhary, founder of The Plurals Party, is making another attempt to challenge traditional politics in the 2025 Assembly elections. Known for her all-black attire and vow to keep her face masked until she wins an election, the 38-year-old leader from Darbhanga represents a new, unconventional strand of Bihar politics.

Chaudhary, who launched The Plurals Party in 2020, says she wants to introduce a form of politics that transcends caste and religion, an idea she believes Bihar urgently needs. In an interview with NDTV, she said she hopes for “more educated leaders in the opposition” and described her constituency, Darbhanga, as one that “lacks any real opposition.”

Family and education

Pushpam Priya is the daughter of Vinod Kumar Chaudhary, a former JD(U) MLA from Darbhanga. Her grandfather, Professor Umakant Chaudhary, was one of the founding members of the Samata Party and a close associate of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. Her uncle, Vinay Kumar Chaudhary, currently represents Benipur in the Bihar Assembly.

Born on June 13, 1987, she completed her schooling in Darbhanga before moving to Pune for her undergraduate studies. She later earned a master’s degree in Development Studies from the University of Sussex and another 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.

Political journey

Pushpam Priya made a splash in 2020 when she took out full-page newspaper ads announcing her entry into politics and declaring herself her party’s chief ministerial candidate. Her campaign stood out for its emphasis on merit, governance, and development, and for its rejection of caste and religion-based politics. Although she initially aimed to contest all 243 seats, her party eventually fielded 148 candidates due to registration delays and logistical constraints.

2025 campaign and party vision

In 2025, The Plurals Party is contesting all 243 Assembly seats, with half reserved for women. The Election Commission has allotted the party the ‘city’ symbol. Explaining the name of her party, Chaudhary said, “Plurals means people of all castes and religions should rule together.” Responding to comments about the name being difficult to remember, she added, “In the past, people couldn’t pronounce Congress or Communist. I am different; we have our own ideology.”

Her striking all-black wardrobe and mask continue to be part of her political identity. “I wear black because I don’t know why politicians wear white,” she told NDTV, reaffirming her vow to remove her mask only after an electoral victory.

On national politics, Chaudhary has described Akhilesh Yadav as a “more serious leader” than Rahul Gandhi, called Nitish Kumar the “best Chief Minister ever,” and advised political strategist Prashant Kishor to “remain a strategist and not aspire to become a leader.”