Famous folk singer Maithili Thakur joined Bhartiya Janta Party, amidst full-swing preparations of upcoming Bihar Assembly Elections. Born in Madhubani (Bihar), the 25-year-old singer has won millions of hearts with her folk songs in Hindi, Bhojpuri, Maithili and many more languages. Now entering into the field of politics, she has further strengthened BJP party. However, the shift from artistic stage to a political stage, is going to bring in a set of new challenges filled with hopes, criticism, responsibilities and public-image. The playback singer, joined the party on 14th of October, 2025 during a Milan Samaroh in Patna. Maithili Thakur said that she was inspired by the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar. “I am very impressed with the Prime Minister Modi and Bihar CM Niteesh Kumar. Drawing inspiration from them, I am here to support them,” were her words.
Coming from a musical family, her father Ramesh Thakur, is a music teacher while his brother is also a singer. She started singing at an early age of around 11 or 12 and uploaded videos of folk and devotional songs. She rose to prominence for singing folk songs and her attachment with Mithila. She has also won awards like Ustad Bismillah Khan Yuva Purashkar in 2021 and National Creators Award in 2024.
The Political Turn: What took her to the politics?
Maithili said that she didn’t joined politics because of any personal ambition or power-seeking reasons. She clarified that it was her desire of serving people that drove the decision. She said “I do not believe that joining a political party makes you a politician, I am here to serve society and take their ideology to each and every person,”. Stating her roots and identity tied to her homeland Mithila, she also called herself the “daughter of Mithila”. She had a meeting with BJP National General Secretary Vinod Tawde and Union Minister Nityanand Rai and just two days after the meeting, she was inducted into the BJP. She also said that she was ready to contest in Bihar Election, if the party had asked her to.
Shortly after she joined BJP, she was included in BJP’s second list of candidates for Bihar Assembly Elections from Alinagar constituency in Darbhanga. But speculations are there that she might contest from her home constituency, Benipatti in Madhubani. On being asked about her preference for constituency, she said that it would be decision from the party, mentioning that people from Madhubani and Darbhanga love her equally. Her maternal grandmother’s village is in Darbhanga while her ancestral village is in Madhubani district.
Her entry into the party can help BJP get the support of local and culturally influenced people. A majority of support from her fan-following is tend to be in favour of Bhartiya Janta Party now. BJP party can further strategize to bring in younger and culturally influential faces, having the advantage of their prior public recognition.
What was the reaction of people?
Just like the action of flipping a coin, opinions of people also get divided into either of support or criticism. Many have supported the decision of her entry into politics. They see it as a positive step with someone rooted in Mithila and having a deep connection with culture, traditions can help the place to-develop, make policies, preserve traditions and uplift livelihood.
On the other hand, there are people criticizing the move too. Many have questioned the move by BJP as a strategic step to use famous names for gaining votes. Some are concerned about her singing career and whether she will continue singing. Being in politics is going to gather her criticism from various fields rather than just singing. She will be also criticized by opposition parties in future and not just local people. This new field is going to bring her new responsibilities, as the role of a political candidate (representative) is very different from that of an artist. She will have to engage in public service, bureaucracy and political arguments.
While music gave her the identity and influence, politics can provide her much more opportunities to serve people while also being capable of eradicating all her credibility. Now, people will have much more expectations from her and she will be the one targeted for those unfulfilled expectations. More than just a political debut, Maithili Thakur’s decision to join the BJP represents a sincere transition from the stage to the streets, from melody to widespread connection. Her voice has long praised Mithila culture and feelings, and she now wants that voice to be heard in public service and policymaking. It remains to be seen if her political career will be as harmonious as her musical career, but her arrival gives Bihar’s political scene a new, cultural perspective. In a society where art and politics are frequently kept apart, Maithili’s action serves as a reminder that inspiration can come from a variety of sources and that sometimes even a song can inspire change.
