Folk Singer Maithili Thakur to Contest Bihar Assembly Election from Alinagar as BJP Candidate

Bihar's folk singer Maithili Thakur will contest the assembly election from Alinagar on a BJP ticket

New Delhi:

Bihar's folk singer Maithili Thakur is set to contest the assembly election from Alinagar constituency as a BJP candidate. Her name appeared among the 12 candidates announced in the BJP's second list released today.

The BJP has introduced new candidates in nine out of the 12 assembly constituencies mentioned in this latest announcement.

Thakur's nomination represents a calculated move by the BJP to utilize her popularity among youth to strengthen its position in the Mithilanchal region, where Alinagar has become a significant electoral battleground.

"I am very impressed with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. I am here to serve society and contribute to the development of Bihar," Thakur remarked after her induction on Tuesday, expressing her commitment to promoting Maithili traditions through public service.

The second list also features former Indian Police Service (IPS) officer Anand Mishra, who will contest from Buxar; Virendra Kumar from Rosra, and Chhoti Kumari from Chhapra.

Two sitting MLAs have been renominated: Hayaghat MLA Ramchandra Prasad and Rosera MLA Birendra Kumar.

The BJP has denied tickets to three sitting MLAs - Gyanendra Singh Gyanu from Barh, CN Gupta from Chhapra, and Kusum Devi from Gopalganj.

Ram Chandra Prasad will contest from Hayaghat, while Rakesh Ojha has been fielded from Shahpur.

Alinagar, the constituency from which the folk singer will contest, witnessed a VIP battle in the previous election. Kedar Nath Singh will represent the party from Baniapur, another constituency that saw a VIP contest last time.

BJP's Mahesh Paswan will contest from Agiaon, a seat that was contested by a Janata Dal (United), or JD(U), candidate five years ago.

Besides Thakur, Mishra, and Kumari, the other new candidates include Ranjan Kumar, Subhash Singh, Kedarnath Singh, Siyaram Singh, Mahesh Paswan, and Rakesh Ojha.

The significant number of fresh faces in the BJP's second list appears to be a strategic response to Prashant Kishor's Jan Suraaj Party (JSP) approach of fielding candidates from diverse backgrounds, including retired professionals.