Bhojpuri superstar Khesari Lal Yadav trails closely behind BJP’s Chhoti Kumari in Chapra constituency

BJP’s Chapra gamble is paying off as its pick Chhoti Kumari – a Zila panchayat chairperson, is leading RJD’s candidate Khesari Lal Yadav (known as Shatrughan Yadav), on Friday (November 13, 2025). Mr. Yadav, a Bhojpuri actor and singer, joined the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) in October this year, along with his wife Chanda. The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) is set to retain Bihar, leading on 204 seats opposed to Mahagathbandhan (MGB) whose lead has been reduced to a mere 32 seats. 

Also Read: Bihar election 2025 results

Initially Mr. Yadav’s wife Chanda was to be fielded on an RJD ticket, but her name was ‘missing’ from the voter’s list. Taking her place, Mr. Yadav said that his candidacy is dedicated to the development of Chapra. “Just like I am able to educate my children in a good school, people of this constituency should be able to do the same. There should be proper health facilities for people,” said Mr. Yadav on filing his nomination. 

Having a rags-to-riches story, Shatrughan Yadav rose from being a ‘lithi-choka‘ seller to singing in multiple Bhojpuri movies. His songs like ‘Piyawa gaye re hamar Saudi re bhauji’ and ‘Saiyan Arab gaye na’ catapulted him to fame in the cinema industry. He later donned the acting cap, debuting with ‘Sajan Chale Sasuraal’ – a box-office hit. His subsequent movies like ‘Naagin’, ‘Betaab’ and ‘Sapoot’ made him a household name in the Bhojpuri industry. 

In contrast, his rival – Ms. Chhoti Kumari is a local political activist, currently heading the Zila Panchayat in Chapra. BJP has dropped its two-time MLA C.N. Gupta, opting to field Ms. Kumari, irking ground workers. A swing seat in Saran district, Chapra has switched between RJD and BJP from 2000 to 2020. 

While Mr. Yadav’s acting fame has not helped him poll votes, folk singer Maithili Thakur’s popularity has helped BJP win the Alinagar seat, defeating RJD heavyweight Binod Mishra. BJP had roped in popular Bhojpuri stars Pawan Singh, Manoj Tiwari, Ravi Kishan, and Dinesh Lal Yadav ‘Nirahua’  to campaign for her. 

Current ECI trends show that BJP is set to become the single largest party in the Bihar Assembly with 96 seats – its best performance ever. It is followed by ally JDU leading on 84 seats, RJD on 24 seats while Congress has been reduced to its worst performance – leading only on two seats.