Bihar Elections: Bollywood Star Power Fails to Translate into Votes, Except for One
Image Source: Internet
In a surprising turn of events, the Bihar Assembly polls have dealt a blow to celebrity candidates and Bhojpuri cinema's biggest names. Among them, singer Maithili Thakur, contesting from Alinagar on a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ticket, emerged victorious with a margin of 11,730 votes. She secured 84,915 votes after 25 rounds of counting, defeating Rashtriya Janata Dal's (RJD) Binod Mishra, who secured 73,185 votes. Other notable celebrities, including actor-singer Khesari Lal Yadav, who contested from Chapra, singer Ritesh Pandey, who contested from Kargahar, and Jyoti Singh, wife of Pawan Singh, who contested from Karakat, failed to convert their popularity into votes. Their performances were disappointing, with Khesari Yadav securing 79,245 votes in Chapra, while Rakhi Gupta, an independent candidate, trailed far behind in the same constituency. The outcome was a far cry from what was expected, given the star power and crowd support that these candidates commanded during their campaigns. Pawan Singh's wife, Jyoti, secured 23,469 votes in Karakat, ranking third, while singer Ritesh Pandey secured only 16,298 votes in Kargahar, ranking fourth. Musician and singer Vinay Bihari, a BJP candidate from Lauriya constituency, however, won for the fourth time on the BJP ticket, securing a significant margin of votes. The Bihar Assembly polls have sent a clear message that celebrity endorsements may not necessarily translate into votes, highlighting the importance of grassroots support and a strong campaign strategy for success in politics.
