New Delhi: Bhojpuri actor and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) candidate Khesari Lal Yadav is locked in a close contest with Chhoti Kumari of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), as he trails by 1,960 votes in Bihar’s Chapra assembly constituency.
The BJP candidate has got 35,312 votes after 11 rounds of counting at 4.05 pm. Yadav has 33,352 votes in his favour.
Yadav, a well-known Bhojpuri artiste, joined the RJD just before the assembly elections after months of speculation about his political entry. Initially, it was expected that his wife would contest the polls, but at the last moment, he filed the nomination himself.
During his election campaign, Khesari Lal Yadav gave the slogan, “Neta nahi, beta banna hai (I don’t want to be a leader, I want to be your son)”. In his public rallies, he often spoke about the lack of education, medical facilities, and infrastructure in the region.
Both Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav and RJD chief Tejashwi Yadav campaigned in Chapra to seek support for him. Yadav also lent his voice to the RJD’s campaign song, “Tejashwi bina sudhar na hoi (There will be no progress without Tejashwi)”.
Born in Bihar’s Saran district, the 39-year-old actor-singer began his career in 1999 as a theatre performer, singing in Bhojpuri plays based on the Ramayana and the Mahabharata. He also learned the traditional folk dance, Launda Naach. Later, he moved to Okhla, Delhi, where he helped his parents and wife sell ‘litti-chokha’ (a dish made of Bengal gram and vegetables).
Yadav entered the Bhojpuri film industry in the 2000s and gained recognition with ‘Saajan Chale Sasural’ in 2011. His Bollywood singing debut took place in 2014 with the song ‘AK-47’ from the film, ‘Koyelaanchal’. Since then, he has never looked back, becoming one of the leading stars of the Bhojpuri entertainment world.
His interest in politics is not new. On several occasions in the past, Yadav praised leaders like Lalu Prasad Yadav of the RJD and Akhilesh Yadav of the Samajwadi Party during media interactions. This election result will shape his next chapter in politics and public life.
(Edited by Tony Rai)
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