• Source:JND
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Folk singer Maithili Thakur has expressed her desire to contest in the upcoming Assembly Elections in Bihar from her native village, Benipatti, in Madhubani district. Speaking to the media, Maithili Thakur remarked, "I would like to contest from my home constituency... my village if given a poll ticket. I have a special connect from that place."

She further said that her recent meeting with senior BJP leaders Nityanand Rai and Vinod Tawde 5 had been ‘fruitful’. Photographs from the meeting went viral on social media, hinting at the possibility that the Bihari folk singer might enter the election on a BJP ticket.

But no official announcement regarding her candidature has been made by the party. When asked on which side she owes her allegiance, Thakur refused to pick a side, saying, “I don't want to comment on this right now... I am standing strong to contribute whatever possible towards the country's development..."

Who Is Maithili Thakur?

Born on July 25, 2000, in Benipatti, Maithili Thakur is a trained Indian folk and playback singer who was appointed as the ‘state icon’ of Bihar by the Election Commissioner. She was trained by her father and grandfather in folk, Hindustani classical music, harmonium, and tabla when she was only 4 years old. At the age of 10, she began to sing at jagrans and other musical events. She has rendered traditional folk songs of Bihar in Maithili, Bhojpuri and Hindi.

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Thakur’s talent was praised by Prime Minister Narendra Modi as well. During the inauguration of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya, PM Modi shared one of Maithili's songs and wrote: "The occasion of Pran Pratishtha in Ayodhya is reminding my family members across the country of every incident related to the life and ideals of Lord Shri Ram. One such emotional incident is related to Shabari. Listen to how Maithili Thakur ji has put it in her melodious tunes."

For her contributions to the folk tradition of Bihar, Thakur received the Ustad Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskar in 2021 from the Sangeet Natak Akademi. She was also the recipient of the Cultural Ambassador of the Year Award at the inaugural National Creators Award on 8 March 2024.

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Coming to her educational background, she completed her higher secondary from the Bal Bhavan International School and then pursued her bachelor's from Atma Ram Sanatan Dharm College, Delhi University.