The counting of votes for the 2025 Bihar Assembly election began today, Friday, November 14, and all eyes are on the Alinagar assembly seat in the culturally rich Mithilanchal region, where folk singer and BJP candidate Maithili Thakur was the first to show up on the lead table just after 8 a.m.
Thakur is facing a tough contest against the Rashtriya Janata Dal’s Binod Mishra for the seat, which is one of the most closely watched battles in the state.
Maithili Thakur: The BJP’s Youth and Cultural Icon
The Bharatiya Janata Party made a significant, last-minute gamble by fielding Maithili Thakur just two days after she officially joined the party. She replaced the sitting MLA, Mishri Lal Yadav, who was denied a ticket following legal troubles.
- Folk Celebrity: Maithili Thakur is a celebrated voice in the Maithili and Bhojpuri folk traditions, hailing from Benipatti in Madhubani district, close to Alinagar. She and her brothers, Rishav and Ayachi, achieved widespread fame through social media performances celebrating Bihar’s rich folk heritage.
- Political Debut: The recipient of the Ustad Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskar from the Sangeet Natak Akademi, Thakur represents the youngest face in the BJP’s candidate list.
- Party Vision: After joining the BJP, she expressed her full dedication, stating, “Whatever job the party assigns to me, I will do it with full dedication.” Her entry has successfully energized the BJP’s campaign, aiming to widen its youth appeal and cultural connect in North Bihar.
Binod Mishra: The RJD’s Grassroots Challenger
Maithili Thakur’s opponent, Binod Mishra, is the candidate for the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and a well-known local Brahmin leader with a strong organizational base. He was the runner-up in the 2020 Assembly election, losing by a narrow margin.
Mishra’s campaign has centered on local issues, promising improvements in employment, rural infrastructure, and welfare for the poor. Given Alinagar’s historical tendency to lean towards the RJD, Mishra is relying heavily on his deep local connect and the party’s traditional caste arithmetic to secure the seat for the INDIA bloc.
The Alinagar Constituency in Focus
The Alinagar seat, located in Darbhanga district, has historically been a stronghold for the RJD, having been won multiple times by veteran leader Abdul Bari Siddiqui. However, the seat saw a swing in 2020 when Mishri Lal Yadav won under the NDA banner (VIP party) by a slim margin of just over 3,000 votes against Mishra.
The constituency is characterized by a mixed population, including significant numbers of Brahmins, Yadavs, Muslims, and Extremely Backward Classes (EBCs) like Mallahs and Paswans. The 2025 contest in Alinagar is thus a fascinating battle that blends cultural celebrity and youth appeal against deep-rooted grassroots strength and caste politics.