Overview: A notable addition to BJP’s Bihar lineup
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) rolled out its second slate of 12 candidates for the Bihar Assembly election, marking a notable entry with the inclusion of singer Maithili Thakur as the BJP candidate from Alinagar. This move underscores the party’s strategy of bringing familiar faces from diverse backgrounds into the electoral fray, aiming to connect with a broad spectrum of voters in the state.
The Alinagar candidate: Maithili Thakur
Maithili Thakur, renowned for her musical repertoire and social media presence, has been fielded from Alinagar, signaling BJP’s intent to leverage her popularity and grassroots appeal. The selection follows the party’s ongoing seat-sharing arrangements within the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and comes a day after BJP released its first list of 71 candidates. Her candidature is expected to be a talking point in campaigns across the region, where culturalconnect and public recognition can influence voter sentiment alongside party policy positions.
Other notable names in the second list
Alongside Maithili Thakur, the second candidate batch includes:
- Ram Chandra Prasad from Hayaghat
- Vinay Kumar Singh from Sonepur
- Anand Mishra, an IPS officer, from Buxar
- Siyaram Singh from Barh
Additional appointees include Birendra Kumar (Rosera) and Mahesh Paswan (Agiaon), as well as Ranjan Kumar (Muzaffarpur) and Subhash Singh (Gopalganj). These choices reflect BJP’s intent to balance regional representation with candidates who can articulate party messaging in diverse constituencies.
Context: NDA seat-sharing and the broader electoral landscape
The new candidate list arrives amid a broader NDA framework for Bihar, wherein negotiations have outlined seat-sharing across partner parties. The NDA — comprising the BJP and Janata Dal (United), among others — has tentatively allocated 101 seats to each of the two major allies, with 29 for Chirag Paswan’s Lok Janshakti Party and six seats each for the Rashtriya Lok Morcha (RLM) and Hindustani Awa Morcha (HAM). This distribution showcases the strategic emphasis on consolidating a broad regional footprint ahead of the November elections.
What this means for voters and the race ahead
With Election Day slated for November, potential voters will be watching how Maithili Thakur’s candidacy resonates in Alinagar, a testbed for cultural outreach and local issues alike. Campaign messages across candidates in Hayaghat, Sonepur, Buxar, Barh, Rosera, Agiaon, Muzaffarpur, and Gopalganj will collectively shape the NDA’s image as it competes against the ruling coalition led by Janata Dal (United) and its allies, as well as other opposition outfits. The emphasis across campaigns is expected to be on governance promises, development projects, law and order, agriculture, infrastructure, and social welfare schemes that have historically influenced Bihar’s electoral choices.
Looking ahead: schedule and expectations
Bihar votes in two phases on November 6 and November 11, with vote counting on November 14. As campaigns intensify, candidates like Maithili Thakur will engage in rallies, public meetings, and digital outreach to mobilize support. The coming weeks will reveal how effectively the NDA ties together its diverse slate under a unified message while appealing to voters seeking stability and growth in a state with evolving economic and social priorities.
