Bihar Elections 2025: Who is Maithili Thakur, folk singer candidate for Alinagar seat on BJP ticket

Folk singer Maithili Thakur is set to contest the upcoming Bihar Assembly elections from Alinagar seat on a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ticket. His name was included in the second list of 12 candidates that the party declared recently.

Thakur’s appointment is seen as a strategic move by the BJP to reach out to younger voters and strengthen its presence in the Mithilanchal region, where Alinagar has emerged as a key battleground.

After his induction, Thakur expressed his admiration for Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. She said her aim was to serve the society, contribute to the development of Bihar and promote Maithili traditions.

Bihar will go to polls in two phases on November 6 and 11, 2025. Voting in Alinagar will take place on November 6.

Who is Maithili Thakur?

Maithili Thakur, 25, has gained popularity over the past five years on social media. She first came to public attention when she, along with her two brothers, began uploading song videos on YouTube, according to a BBC Hindi report. Today, she has 5.13 subscribers on the platform and 6.3 million followers on Instagram.

Hailing from Madhubani district in Bihar, Maithili was raised and educated in Delhi. Her father, Ramesh Thakur, himself a musician, began uploading videos of Maithili and his brothers playing together. These early performances often featured Maithili on vocals, with his older brother on tabla and his younger brother on other instruments.

Over time, Maithili released several albums, covering folk songs, classical vocals and bhajans. His YouTube channel continues to feature a mix of Bhojpuri and Maithili folk songs, classical pieces and devotional music.

Alinagar seat: Election results and political landscape

Although Thakur is contesting from the Alinagar assembly seat in Darbhanga district on a BJP ticket, his path to victory is expected to be tough. The seat has seen changing political dynamics and close competitions in recent years, according to reports.

Alinagar was previously held by the Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP), an ally of the BJP in the 2020 elections. Mishrilal Yadav, representing VIP, won the seat by defeating RJD’s Binod Mishra. Yadav later joined the BJP but lost his MP status, prompting the NDA to field a new candidate for the 2025 elections.

Historically, Alinagar headquarters has been a stronghold of the RJD. After the 2008 delimitation, parts of Manigachhi Assembly constituency were merged with Darbhanga Rural and Alinagar was carved out from the remaining areas.

Earlier, the region was home to prominent Brahmin Congress leaders, but the social and political equations changed over time. The RJD’s Abdul Bari Siddiqui recognized the new dynamic, participating and winning in 2010 and 2015.

In 2020, the RJD tried to leverage the Brahmin vote by nominating Binod Mishra, while the NDA countered with a Yadav candidate. The contest was close, highlighting how equations of caste and community continue to play a decisive role in Alinagar’s electoral results. With this history, Maithili Thakur faces a competitive battle in her maiden political campaign.