Folk singer Maithili Thakur will contest the upcoming Bihar Assembly elections from the Alinagar constituency, as announced in the BJP's second list of candidates released on Wednesday. The list features 12 new names, taking the party's total to 83 candidates out of the 101 seats it will contest.

Thakur, celebrated for her devotion to Maithili and Bhojpuri folk music, is making her political debut through this election. Her entry is seen as an attempt by the BJP to connect with Bihar's cultural and youth base ahead of the two-phase polls scheduled for November 6 and 11, with counting on November 14.

From melody to politics: Maithili Thakur's journey to BJP

Earlier in October 2025, Thakur met BJP national general secretary and Bihar in-charge Vinod Tawde and Union minister Nityanand Rai, sparking speculation about her political debut. Tawde shared photos from the meeting on social media, referring to Thakur as 'Bihar's daughter' and praising her commitment to the state's development.

In response, Thakur thanked BJP leaders, saying discussions about Bihar's future reminded her of 'vision and service'. Although she did not confirm her candidacy at the time, her inclusion in the latest BJP list has now made it official.

वर्ष 1995 में बिहार में लालू राज आने पर जो परिवार बिहार छोड़कर चले गए, उस परिवार की बिटिया सुप्रसिद्ध गायिका मैथिली ठाकुर जी बदलते बिहार की रफ्तार को देखकर फिर से बिहार आना चाहती हैं।आज गृह राज्यमंत्री @nityanandraibjp जी और मैंने उनसे आग्रह किया कि बिहार की जनता के लिए और... twitter/DrFtkxQWo0

- Vinod Tawde (@TawdeVinod) October 5, 2025

Who is Maithili Thakur?

Maithili Thakur is a young folk and classical singer from Benipatti in Bihar's Madhubani district. She comes from a musical family: her father Ramesh Thakur is also a music teacher and she along with her two brothers were trained by their grandfather and father in folk as well as classical music.

Over the years, she has gained wide recognition for singing in Maithili, Bhojpuri and Hindi, performing devotional and folk music across India and abroad. In 2021, she was awarded the Ustad Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskar by the Sangeet Natak Akademi for her contributions to folk music.

BJP confident of a majority win in Bihar Assembly elections

Earlier on Wednesday, Bihar Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Dilip Jaiswal expressed strong confidence that the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) will win a two-thirds majority in the upcoming two-phased Bihar Assembly elections.

Addressing reporters, Jaiswal also criticised the Mahagathbandhan (Grand Alliance) for failing to announce its seat-sharing formula or list of candidates.“All NDA partners have finalised seat-sharing and are declaring their candidates. We were the first to announce ours. There is no confusion within the alliance,” he said, adding,“Mahagathbandhan has neither shared accurate seat details nor announced candidates. NDA will win comfortably.”

Polling for Bihar's 243-member Assembly will be held in two phases, November 6 and November 11, while counting is scheduled for November 14.

JD(U)'s First List of 57 Candidates

The Janata Dal (United), led by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, on Wednesday released its first list of 57 candidates for the Bihar Assembly elections. The list was approved by JD(U) National President Nitish Kumar.

Prominent names include Umesh Khushwaha (Mahanar), Shravan Kumar (Nalanda), and Sunil Kumar (Bhore - SC).

Earlier, the BJP had released its first list of 71 candidates on Tuesday.

NDA Finalises Seat-Sharing Formula

As per the NDA's final agreement, the BJP and JD(U) will contest 101 seats each, while the Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) will fight from 29 seats. The Rashtriya Lok Morcha (RLM) and Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM) have been allotted six seats each.

The NDA leaders said that their alliance remains united and ready for the polls, confident of a decisive mandate.

(With ANI inputs)

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