BJP releases second list of 12 candidates for Bihar Elections, singer Maithili Thakur to contest from Alinagar seat

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Wednesday released the second list of 12 candidates for Bihar Assembly Elections 2025 and fielded noted folk singer Maithili Thakur from Alinagar seat.

The saffron party also fielded former IPS officer Anand Mishra from the Buxar seat.

Maithili Thakur joined the ruling BJP on Monday, saying she will do whatever job the party assigns her.

Thakur, 25, had earlier expressed her willingness to contest the assembly polls after meeting senior BJP leaders.

Who is Maithili Thakur?

— Maithili Thakur is a noted folk singer. She was born in Benipatti in Madhubani district.

— She has sung several folk songs in Maithili and Bhojpuri.

— Maithili, along with her brothers Rishav and Ayachi, has performed in several literature festivals, national and international events.

— She was awarded the prestigious 'Ustad Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskar' of the Sangeet Natak Akademi (SNA) in 2021.

Bihar Assembly Elections will be held in the state in two phases, on November 6 and 11. The votes will be counted on November 14.

71 candidates named in BJP's first list

In the first list released on Tuesday, BJP announced the names of 71 candidates. The party denied a ticket to Speaker Nand Kishore Yadav, a seven-term MLA, while fielding Deputy CM Samrat Choudhary in a direct election after over a decade.

The 72-year-old speaker of the outgoing assembly, came out with a social media post, announcing, "I stand with the decision taken by the BJP. I have no complaints. I welcome the new generation of leadership."

Health and Law Minister Mangal Pandey, a member of the legislative council, has also been fielded by the party for the assembly polls.

Former JD(U) MP Sunil Kumar Pintu and retired civil servant Sujit Kumar Singh, who had also joined the BJP on Monday, were given tickets from Sitamarhi and Gaura Bauram, respectively.

Earlier in the day, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s JD(U) announced its first list of 51 candidates.

Meanwhile, Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party (SBSP), an NDA ally in Uttar Pradesh, also released the list of 48 candidates for the first phase.

"We wished to strengthen the NDA in Bihar but due to the unresponsive behaviour of the state unit of the BJP, we could not get along with the alliance," SBSP national general secretary Arvind Rajbhar told reporters here.