7 months ago
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Playback vocalist Maithili Thakur, trained successful Indian classical and devotional music, turned 25 connected July 25 this year. Three months later, she is successful a antithetic tract altogether arsenic she contests the upcoming Assembly elections from Alinagar constituency successful Darbhanga territory arsenic a astonishment Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) nominee.
Ms. Thakur, the youngest among the candidates successful the Bihar elections this time, hails from Benipatti successful neighbouring Madhubani district, astir 35 km from the Mithilanchal portion successful northbound Bihar.
“Even connected my day this year, I had nary inkling of contesting the poll. It was successful August erstwhile I got a telephone from elder State BJP person and Union Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai ji to travel to Patna, wherever I met the party’s Bihar incharge Vinod Tawde ji. Again, I came to Delhi and six days later, I got a telephone to travel to Patna wherever I was told to contention the canvass from Alinagar... meanwhile, the State BJP leaders kept telling maine that I whitethorn beryllium the enactment contender,” Ms. Thakur told The Hindu at her maternal grandfather’s location successful Shankarpur nether Adhaloaam panchayat of Alinagar constituency.
“In betwixt gathering elder BJP leaders successful Patna and getting the enactment ticket, I was heavy trolled connected societal media for saying thing inadvertently to media persons, which was truly a nightmare for me,” she added, arsenic she prepared to caput retired for campaigning.
Wearing a greenish silk suit with a neatly wrapped dupatta, she attended to visitors successful the courtyard of the humble house. One of her younger brothers, Rishav Thakur, who plays the tabla, was seen assisting with the run arrangements, portion the youngest, Ayachi Thakur, was not contiguous astatine the time. Their maternal uncles, Nand Kishore Jha and Sumit Jha, were besides coordinating logistics.
Her father, Ramesh Kumar Thakur, sat softly nearby. “What would I do? This is the archetypal clip we’re experiencing specified things successful life… altogether, I’ve been a philharmonic artiste and taught my children lone this… I americium inactive struggling successful life,” helium said. He recalled leaving Benipatti successful 1995 to thatch euphony successful Delhi. “When Maithili was calved successful 2000 and her brothers came, I decided to bring them up successful euphony alternatively of focusing connected regular studies. And spot wherever they person travel now,” helium said, smiling. “Everything is fixed from up above,” helium added.
When asked astir her priorities arsenic an MLA and wherefore she chose the BJP, Ms. Thakur said, “Since respective apical BJP leaders person earlier invited maine to sing people and devotional songs successful the party’s taste events, I utilized to cognize them personally and erstwhile they offered maine the enactment ticket, I couldn’t resist.”
“To present Mithila coating arsenic extra-curricular activities successful schools and besides bash thing amended for education, particularly for miss children, and employment for jobless youths would beryllium my priorities erstwhile I go an MLA,” she said, thanking Prime Minister Narendra Modi for “considering her to go a enactment contestant”. “He is my idol person for his imaginativeness and everything… I’m impressed with him,” she added.
Ms. Thakur has been fielded from Alinagar aft the BJP denied a summons to sitting MLA Mishri Lal Yadav, who resigned from the enactment connected October 11. Mr. Yadav had won the spot successful 2020 connected a Vikassheel Insaan Party summons and aboriginal joined the BJP. In May 2025, helium was sentenced to 2 years’ imprisonment successful a 2019 transgression lawsuit by the MP-MLA tribunal successful Darbhanga, earlier securing bail from the Patna High Court.
In 2010 and 2015, RJD person Abdul Bari Siddiqui had won from Alinagar. Ms. Thakur present faces RJD campaigner Binod Mishra.
Alinagar is an precocious caste Brahmin-dominated constituency, with a sizeable colonisation of Muslims, Yadavs, and Extremely Backward Classes specified arsenic Mallahs and Paswans. “We’re getting enactment from each caste and class… People recognise Maithili’s look arsenic she has been marque ambassador of respective products… determination is nary contention here, we’ll triumph the election,” Maithili’s maternal uncle Mr. Nand Kishore Jha said.
Other young candidates successful the Bihar elections see Janata Dal (United)’s Ravina Kushwaha (27) from Bibhutipur, RJD’s Shiwani Shukla (28) from Lalganj, Deepu Singh (28) from Sandesh, and Ravi Ranjan (29) from Ashthawan. At the different extremity of the spectrum are seasoned candidates specified arsenic JD(U)’s Harinarayan Singh (78) from Harnaut, and RJD’s Awadh Bihari Choudhary (78), from Siwan. The mean property of candidates successful the two-phased Bihar elections is said to beryllium astir 51 years.
Alinagar volition ballot successful the archetypal signifier connected November 6, and results volition beryllium declared connected November 14. “Please don’t hide to telephone erstwhile the results volition beryllium out,” Mr. Ramesh Thakur said.
