Twenty years after independence, Bihar saw its first backward-class Chief Minister, Satish Prasad Singh. But his journey in power ended in just five days. He resigned, creating history as the shortest-serving CM of Bihar. The rise and fall of Singh highlighted how caste has always influenced Bihar politics.
Backward and extremely backward communities hold a strong voice in Bihar. They form a large part of the population and decide electoral results. Yet, for almost two decades after 1947, the CM’s post went only to forward castes. This changed briefly in 1968, when Satish Prasad Singh became the first backward-class Chief Minister. But his government lasted only five days, showing the deep-rooted power imbalance.
After independence, Shri Krishna Singh from the Bhumihar caste served as Bihar’s first CM until 1961. He was followed by Binodanand Jha, a Maithil Brahmin. Later, Krishna Ballabh Sahay and Mahamaya Prasad Sinha, both Kayasthas, took charge. These leaders came from forward castes, keeping backward communities away from the top post for years.
Singh’s brief tenure opened the way for future backward-class leaders, shaping the social justice narrative in Bihar politics.
