Popular Bihari folk singer Maithili Thakur officially joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday, while she was formally inducted into the party in the presence of BJP State President Dilip Jaiswal. For quite some time, there had been widespread speculation about Maithili's foray into politics and her potential association with the BJP, which has now been confirmed.
Decision to Enter Politics
Maithili Thakur recently held meetings with BJP National General Secretary Vinod Tawde and Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai. These discussions intensified reports of her stepping onto the electoral field, while initially, Maithili had expressed reluctance to join politics, but she was reportedly deeply influenced by her conversations with Tawde and Rai, leading her to make the decision to enter the political arena. She had previously stated that if given the opportunity, she would prefer to contest from Madhubani or Darbhanga, though her initial preference was the Benipatti assembly seat in her home district.
Likely to Contest from Alinagar
According to sources, the BJP is likely to field Maithili Thakur from the Alinagar assembly constituency in Darbhanga district, while alinagar is considered a significant seat with a notable presence of Brahmin, Yadav, and Muslim voters. It's a predominantly rural area that was formerly part of the Manigachhi assembly constituency and was reconfigured into a new constituency after delimitation.
History of the Alinagar Seat
The Alinagar seat has historically been a stronghold for the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), while in both the 2010 and 2015 assembly elections, RJD's Abdul Bari Siddiqui emerged victorious from this constituency. However, in the 2020 assembly elections, Mishri Lal Yadav of Mukesh Sahani's VIP party won the seat, later joining the BJP, while maithili Thakur's candidature from this seat could set the stage for an intriguing electoral battle.
**Who is Maithili Thakur?
Maithili Thakur is a well-known folk singer hailing from Madhubani district in Bihar, while she has sung in multiple languages and is particularly celebrated for her contributions to folk music. Her father, Ramesh Thakur, is also a singer, and her two brothers are involved in music as well, while the 25-year-old Maithili has performed in numerous concerts both in India and abroad and has had a passion for singing since childhood.
