In the heart of Bihar’s Darbhanga district, the Alinagar constituency is poised for a significant political showdown. This election marks a generational shift, with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) fielding 25-year-old folk singer Maithili Thakur, a notable debutante in politics, against the seasoned 63-year-old Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) candidate, Binod Mishra. Set to cast their votes in the first phase of the Bihar Assembly elections on November 6, alongside 120 other constituencies, the residents of Alinagar are keenly observing this contest. Should Maithili Thakur emerge victorious, she could potentially become the youngest MLA in the state.
Adding to the multi-cornered contest, the Jan Suraaj Party has nominated Biplaw Kumar Chowdhary, signalling the party’s intention to make its mark in the elections.
Maithili Thakur, a prominent figure from the Brahmin community, resides in Uren village, Madhubani district. Her opponent, Binod Mishra, also a Brahmin, is a resident of Ghanshyampur village in Darbhanga. Financially, the BJP candidate declared an income of ₹28,67,350 for 2023, while the RJD candidate reported ₹7,07,010 for the assessment year 2025-26.
The BJP is placing its trust in Thakur’s youthful energy and her established popularity as a folk singer, hoping to sway voters. Conversely, the RJD is aiming to reclaim the Alinagar seat, which it lost in the 2020 elections. In that election, Mishra was defeated by Mishri Lal Yadav of the Vikasheel Insaan Party (VIP) by a margin of approximately 4,000 votes. Notably, Yadav had previously unseated RJD MLA Abdul Bari Siddique. Yadav later switched to the BJP but recently left the party, citing it as ‘anti-Dalit’. Alinagar has a history with RJD leader Abdul Bari Siddique, who served as a two-time MLA in 2010 and 2015. However, he is not contesting this election as he currently holds a position as a Member of the Legislative Council (MLC).
The constituents of Alinagar are primarily focused on candidates who can champion improvements in local infrastructure, particularly better road connectivity and enhanced public services. Looking back at past election trends, the RJD won in 2010 with a 4.9% vote margin, which widened to 9.60% in 2015. However, the 2020 election saw a surprising upset, with Mishri Lal Yadav securing victory by a narrow margin of 2%, or 3,101 votes.
In the 2020 elections, Alinagar recorded a voter turnout of 57.4%, with a total of 275,559 electors. The electoral roll has since been updated following a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise.
The upcoming polling for the 243-seat Bihar Assembly will occur in two phases: November 6 and November 11, with vote counting scheduled for November 14.