Thakur faced 'outsider' tag, but did not fail to embrace hindutva cultural identity in Mithilanchal.
Singing songs in ‘Maithili’ she tried to convince the locals.
Caught in many controversies from renaming Alinagar to ‘Blue Print’ issue, Thakur was criticised heavily by opponents.
Maithili, 25, a BJP candidate is now leading from Alinagar constituency, which she might rename as one of her key electoral promises.
Thakur brought Alinagar of Darbhanga into limelight with her debut in state politics. After she secured a candidature from Alinagar, the narrow lanes of this rural constituency flooded with camera crews and political workers. Ever since the BJP announced Maithili as its candidate, Alinagar has found itself in the national spotlight.
The credit, in no small part, goes to Maithili herself — the young, classically trained folk and devotional singer who became the cultural face of Mithila through her renditions of bhajans and Maithili songs. For many outside Bihar, she is a brand ambassador of the state. But in Alinagar, where the rhythm of politics is slower than social media’s churn, Maithili is still an unfamiliar face to many.
As one of the youngest candidates in the Bihar elections, she has captivated urban, Gen Z audiences online. Yet, among Alinagar’s older rural women and men, curiosity, admiration and mild scepticism persist.
In a coalition government with a secular force like JDU, Maithili will likely face many challenges especially with the ‘Adityanath’ style hard line hindutva politics.
While, she is contesting an election for the first time in life, many senior activists raised eyebrows but For many the face of Prime Minister Narendra Modi was enough.
"I have listened to her songs. I love her. She is young. That is what we need," said Karuna, a farmer in her early thirties.
Stitching Maithili Culture with Hindutva
During her campaign, Maithili has increasingly drawn on cultural and religious imagery, seeking to connect with Hindu voters through symbols of Mithila’s heritage. Her call to rename Alinagar as Sitanagar— invoking Goddess Sita who is deeply revered across the Mithila region— has become a talking point in local political circles. According to Valmiki Ramayana Sita was born in Mithila region, and this young MLA to be understood the pulse of hindutva culture mixing it with local references of her constituency.
After watching her performance during early trends of counting, she expressed her gratitude to BJP for giving her an opportunity at such young age and praised Nitish kumar for his women centric schemes, in a media interview.
