CM Samrat Choudhary Unveils Jagannath Mishra Statue in Supaul
Synopsis
Bihar Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary unveiled a statue of former CM Dr. Jagannath Mishra at Balua Panchayat, Supaul on 19 August 2026, garlanding the memorial and pledging that Mishra's contributions to Bihar's development and public service will always be remembered.
Key Takeaways
Bihar CM Samrat Choudhary unveiled a statue of former CM Dr.
Jagannath Mishra on 19 August 2026 .
The ceremony took place at Balua Panchayat in Supaul district , northern Bihar.
Jagannath Mishra served multiple terms as Bihar Chief Minister in the 1970s and 1980s under the Congress party.
Choudhary, a BJP leader, paid tribute across party lines, reflecting Bihar's tradition of honouring former chief ministers irrespective of political affiliation.
The event is part of a broader pattern of state governments preserving public memory of past administrations through statue unveilings and homage ceremonies.
A BJP Chief Minister garlanding the statue of a Congress stalwart — that image alone tells you something about how Bihar honours its own. Bihar Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary on Wednesday, 19 August 2026 unveiled a statue of former Chief Minister Dr. Jagannath Mishra at Balua Panchayat in Supaul district, offering floral tributes and paying his respects to the late leader.
Choudhary wrote: 'सुपौल के बलुआ पंचायत में बिहार के भूतपूर्व मुख्यमंत्री, श्रद्धेय जगन्नाथ मिश्र जी की प्रतिमा का अनावरण कर माल्यार्पण किया' — ['At Balua Panchayat in Supaul, I unveiled and garlanded the statue of revered former Chief Minister Jagannath Mishra.'] He added that Mishra's contributions to Bihar's development and public service 'will always be remembered.'
Who Was Dr. Jagannath Mishra
Dr. Jagannath Mishra served multiple terms as Chief Minister of Bihar during the 1970s and 1980s under the Congress banner, leaving a mark on the state's administrative and developmental landscape. He is remembered across party lines as a leader who invested in Bihar's growth during a formative period for the state.
Why Supaul, Why Now
Supaul, a district in northern Bihar prone to annual flooding from the Kosi river, is the setting for this act of public memory. Unveiling a statue at the panchayat level — the most local unit of governance — signals an effort to bring commemorative recognition down from state capitals to the grassroots. Indian state governments across party lines routinely organise such ceremonies for former chief ministers, treating the preservation of a leader's legacy as a civic duty that transcends political affiliation.
That Choudhary, a BJP leader, chose to personally preside over a tribute to a Congress chief minister underscores a well-established Bihar political tradition: honouring the office and the contribution, regardless of the flag under which a leader served.
Point of View
Not just the party that built it. For Choudhary, the optics of travelling to a flood-prone northern district like Supaul carry an implicit outreach signal to communities that have historically leaned toward non-BJP formations. Such events rarely shift electoral arithmetic on their own, but they steadily build a narrative of inclusive governance. Watch whether similar tributes to other Congress-era Bihar leaders follow, which would suggest a deliberate pattern rather than a one-off gesture.
NationPress
20 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who was Jagannath Mishra and why is he significant in Bihar politics?
Dr. Jagannath Mishra was a Congress leader who served multiple terms as Chief Minister of Bihar during the 1970s and 1980s, and is remembered for his contributions to the state's development and administration.
Where was the Jagannath Mishra statue unveiled by CM Samrat Choudhary?
The statue was unveiled at Balua Panchayat in Supaul district, northern Bihar, on 19 August 2026.
Why did BJP's Samrat Choudhary pay tribute to a Congress leader?
Bihar has a strong tradition of honouring former chief ministers across party lines, treating their legacy as part of the state's shared history rather than a partisan matter.
What did CM Samrat Choudhary say at the Jagannath Mishra statue unveiling?
Choudhary said that Dr. Jagannath Mishra's contributions to Bihar's development and public service 'will always be remembered,' and he garlanded the newly unveiled statue.
What is the significance of Supaul district in Bihar?
Supaul is a district in northern Bihar that faces recurring flooding from the Kosi river; holding the ceremony at the panchayat level there signals grassroots-level commemoration.
