Folk singers are eyeing tickets from all parties in Bihar Assembly elections.
While Bihar’s popular folk singer Maithili Thakur has already expressed her desire to contest the state elections after meeting senior BJP leaders, Jan Suraj Party has named Bhojpuri singer Ritesh Ranjan Pandey as its candidate from Karghar seat.
“This will be a different journey for me and I am ready for it,” 25-year-old Thakur told media persons after recently meeting senior BJP leaders including Vinod Tawde and Union minister Nityanand Rai.
Ahead of the state assembly elections, there is a lot of talk about Bhojpuri superstar Pawan Singh, a native of Arrah in Bhojpur district, contesting the elections.
There is speculation that Singh may contest on a BJP ticket from any one of the seven assembly seats in Bhojpur district, preferably Arrah or Barhara.
Singh, who unsuccessfully contested the 2024 Lok Sabha elections as an independent from Karakat seat, recently met Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Rashtriya Lok Morcha (RLM) chief and Rajya Sabha member Upendra Kushwaha.
In the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, Karakat seat was won by Raja Ram Kushwaha of CPI (ML) Liberation.
In the 2020 assembly elections, the NDA could win only two out of 22 seats in the Shahabad region, which includes Bhojpur, Buxar, Rohtas and Kaimur districts.
Commenting on the Jan Suraj Party’s decision to field him from Karghar assembly seat, Pandey told PTI, “I am extremely grateful to our leader Prashant Kishore ji for giving me this opportunity. I am a son of this soil… Since I am contesting from the constituency which is my birthplace, I am sure that people will support me and ensure my victory.”
Pandey said that he is an artist, keeps coming to Karghar and wants to work for the people of the area.
Another popular Bhojpuri singer Shilpi Raj recently met Union Minister and Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) chief Chirag Paswan in Delhi.
The party shared pictures of his meeting with Paswan on its X handle. Party sources said that Raj could be fielded in the upcoming assembly elections.
Despite repeated attempts, he could not be contacted for his comments.
Speaking to PTI, popular Bhojpuri singer Alok Kumar, who recently joined the Jan Suraj party, said, “I joined the party because of Prashant Kishore ji. He is the person who has changed the definition of politics. He has a vision for Bihar and the people. However, let me make it clear that I have joined Jan Suraj not to contest the upcoming assembly elections. If I am asked by the party to contest, I will fight. On this Think.” He also urged artists to get involved in politics as “there is nothing wrong” in it.
Bhojpuri actor and singer-turned-BJP MP Manoj Tiwari, who hails from Atarwalia village in the state’s Kaimur district and has made Delhi his political ‘workmanship’, told PTI, “Bhojpuri stars are doing well in national politics. I hope more folk singers will win the assembly elections in Bihar this time.” Tiwari, one of the leading actors of the Bhojpuri genre of the Indian film industry, is a BJP Lok Sabha MP from North East Delhi.
“I must say that folk singers are more connected to the public, and they know the pulse of the people. Hence, they should join politics. For our Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji, politics is a way to serve the people. It is for the social cause. Therefore, inspired by the vision and principles of Modi ji, folk singers are joining politics in Bihar,” Tiwari said.
Vinay Bihari, BJP MLA from Lauria Assembly seat in West Champaran, is the only Bhojpuri singer in the outgoing Bihar Assembly.
Assembly elections in Bihar will be held in two phases on November 6 and 11, while the counting of votes will take place on November 14.
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