Bihar Election 2025: Veteran vs debutant in Alinagar — singer Maithili Thakur to test RJD’s decades-old stronghold. Who will come on top?

In Bihar’s Darbhanga district, the Alinagar assembly seat has suddenly turned into the epicentre of a fascinating political experiment — one that mixes art, identity, and youth aspiration. At its heart is 25-year-old folk singer Maithili Thakur, who has traded her tanpura for a ticket, becoming the BJP’s youngest face in the 2025 assembly polls.

The cultural face of Mithila turns political

For years, Maithili Thakur has been more than just a singer — she’s been the cultural voice of Mithila, using her platform to preserve Maithili language, music, and devotional traditions. Her renditions of Maithili Lokgeet and bhajans have connected urban youth to their roots and made her a household name far beyond Bihar. Her entry into politics, therefore, isn’t just a career shift — it’s a statement. When she joined the BJP in October, it wasn’t merely about contesting an election; it was about bringing cultural pride into mainstream political conversation. By proposing to rename Alinagar as “Sitanagar” — invoking Goddess Sita, Mithila’s most revered symbol — Maithili has deliberately tied her campaign to the emotional identity of her region. Supporters call it a revival of pride. Critics see it as symbolic populism. Either way, the conversation has changed — Alinagar is no longer a quiet constituency.

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Why Alinagar matters

Alinagar, carved out in 2010, sits deep within Darbhanga’s political heartland, a region that has historically leaned towards the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD). Veteran Abdul Bari Siddiqui made this belt an RJD bastion, winning seven times before stepping back after 2015. The 2020 assembly polls, however, saw a power shift. The Vikassheel Insaan Party’s Mishri Lal Yadav narrowly beat RJD’s Binod Mishra by just over 3,000 votes — an indication that the RJD’s grip was loosening. Now, with Siddiqui out of the picture and the BJP sensing opportunity, Alinagar has become a testing ground for whether charisma, youth, and cultural pride can trump traditional caste arithmetic.

A three-way tug of war

Maithili Thakur faces a tough triangular contest — against Binod Mishra (RJD), who represents the party’s loyal base, and Biplaw Kumar Chowdhary (Jan Suraj Party), who’s trying to attract the anti-establishment vote. For Maithili, the challenge is converting her popularity into actual votes. Folk fame doesn’t automatically translate into political capital, especially in a region where ground mobilization, caste equations, and booth management decide outcomes. Yet, her presence has unsettled both the RJD and smaller regional parties. The BJP’s campaign is framing her as a “self-made daughter of Mithila,” someone who represents aspiration rather than inheritance — a pointed contrast to Bihar’s dynastic political culture.

The BJP’s big strategic bet

By fielding Maithili, the BJP is making a broader pitch — one rooted in youth representation, gender empowerment, and regional emotion. The party hopes to expand its footprint in north Bihar, a region where it has historically played second fiddle to RJD’s social base. Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s rally in Alinagar underlined that strategy. “Shouldn’t youngsters with no political background get a chance?” he asked, linking Maithili’s nomination to a larger BJP narrative — breaking political monopolies and creating a new generation of leaders. The subtext is clear: Maithili is not just a candidate; she’s a symbol of how the BJP wants to recast Bihar politics in a new, youth-driven frame.

Mithila’s identity has always had deep emotional resonance — its art, language, and Goddess Sita form the cultural backbone of north Bihar. By invoking Sita and calling for the renaming of Alinagar, Maithili has turned that identity into a campaign tool. For many, her proposal to rename Alinagar as Sitanagar goes beyond politics — it is about reclaiming cultural dignity. For others, it’s a soft Hindutva strategy aimed at mobilizing the religious and cultural sentiment that BJP often uses effectively. Either way, the debate has worked in her favour by keeping her campaign at the center of statewide attention.

As the election nears, Alinagar has become more than a constituency — it’s a laboratory for Bihar’s evolving politics. Will Maithili Thakur’s blend of culture and youth appeal overpower decades of entrenched political structures? If she wins, it would mark a generational and ideological shift — from legacy-driven politics to aspirational representation. If she loses, it will still cement her as a political voice capable of mobilizing the youth and cultural middle class of Mithila.

For now, one thing is certain — Alinagar’s fight is not just about votes. It’s about what kind of politics Bihar wants next: traditional, transactional, or transformational.