Maithili Thakur Wins Big In Debut
Maithili Thakur has done it. The 25-year-old folk singer has become the youngest ever MLA with no political background, to win in her debut in Alinagar.
Maithili Thakur did not join the election of Bihar just as a politician. She entered as someone that people have known, the voice that they listened at festivals, the young woman they had seen on YouTube growing up, the folk singer who brought the sound of Mithila to the living rooms of people around the globe. It is that very familiar face that has made her the surprise tale of the Bihar Assembly elections of 2025.
She is only 25 but she has taken a very good lead in Alinagar, which puts her on the brink of becoming the youngest MLA in the state. What makes her even more impressive is the fact that she had joined the BJP just a few weeks ago and she had no political background, no party cadre base, and no past political machinery.
Maithili Thakur (born 25 July 2000, Benipatti, Madhubani) is a singer who caught the attention of many online listeners throughout the world through her popularisation of Maithili and Bhojpuri folk music. She had been a very popular cultural figure before politics, feted with classical training and her down-to-earth public persona.
Her action in joining the BJP a month prior to elections was made to serve Bihar. Soon after she was nominated, she promised to serve any duty that the party would have. The tone of her campaign was that, low profile, people-focused, and not based on confrontation.
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Maithili was home-schooled until Class 5. When her family shifted to Dwarka, she had proceeded to study in an MCD school in Delhi.
She was identified as a musical talent and was given a scholarship to Bal Bhavan International School which was the school of music. She continued studying at Atma Ram Sanatan Dharma College, Delhi University that was ranked 7 th in the 2025 NIRF list.
The folk singer grew up in a musical environment. She was coached with her brothers, Rishav and Ayachi by her father, Ramesh Thakur, a trained musician and an instructor who began coaching them at a young age. Both her father and grandfather taught her classical music.
Thakur has not achieved success immediately in the music world. She also auditioned in various singing reality shows such as Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Li lchamps and Indian idol junior where she failed to qualify in the final rounds. This was her breakthrough as she competed as a first-runner-up on Rising Star India in 2017.
This increased her online presence at a rapid rate. Folk verses of long forms uploaded to YouTube and Facebook made her gain a devotee base. Her music, Maithili folk, Bhojpuri songs, devotional music and classical pieces appealed to the listeners in India and beyond.
Even in her early twenties, she was playing on an international stage, and she was one of the most recognisable young folk artists in the nation.
As of 2021 she has received the Ustad Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskar, one of the national awards in India of recognition to young artists. Her cultural influence was later recognised by her being made the State Icon of Bihar by the Election Commission of India.
In her affidavit in the 2025 election campaign, Thakur declared her assets to be approximately 4 crore, which she had earned primarily through music and concerts and her work on digital platforms. Her networth makes her one of the financially stable first-time candidates in this election year.
Her campaign was characterised by simplicity. Where RJD focused on employment, welfare schemes and his years of grassroot ties, Thakur focused on her connection with the young voters, the women and the local families that have been exposed to her music.
Another promise that attracted attention was that she would press to change the name of Alinagar to Sitanagar in case she is elected. She repeated this during the polling day in an interview with India Today.
She told ANI today: This is a dream. I have numerous expectations of people. I shall represent my constituency as their daughter. At the moment I am only thinking of Alinagar and the work in front.
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