Bhojpuri singer, actor, and newly-inducted RJD leader Khesari Lal Yadav has been fielded by the party to contest Bihar Assembly Elections from Chapra seat.
Addressing the speculation that his wife Chanda Devi was supposed to contest elections, Khesari said he never intended to enter politics and had initially wanted his wife to contest the elections. “I probably wouldn’t have even run if I hadn’t been motivated. I wanted my wife to contest, not myself,” he said.
Khesari added that he plans to tone down his music career to focus on addressing local issues in Chapra, highlighting problems such as poor drainage and urban flooding.
“Water even entered the DM’s office this monsoon, and the business community suffered heavy losses. If the drainage system had been fixed, this could have been avoided,” he said.
Promising to work for the region’s development, he added, “Just as my children study in good schools, I want the children of Chapra to have access to better education too.”
Speculations were rife that his wife, Chanda Devi, would contest from the seat. However, her candidacy was ruled out because her name was not on the voter list.
An application was submitted, but the nomination could not be added due to technical reasons, as per media reports. Originally from Dhanadih village in Ekma (Chapra), her name was instead listed on the Mumbai voter roll, creating a technical obstacle to her nomination.
Chhoti Kumari, a former District Council President, has been fielded by the NDA from Chapra. However, fresh developments indicate that it will be Khesari Lal Yadav himself, not his wife, who will enter the electoral fray on an RJD ticket.
After welcoming the couple into the party, Tejashwi Yadav reiterated his key election promise, saying, “We have promised the people that after November 14th, when we form the government, we will enact a law to provide a government job to one member of every household that does not have one. We have made this promise and will fulfil it.”
He has not yet received the party symbol, he is expected to file his nomination as soon as it is allotted.
Khesari Lal Yadav, who enjoys massive popularity in the Bhojpuri film industry, hails from Chapra. The RJD hopes that Khesari’s wide appeal among youths and rural voters will help energise its campaign and attract new supporters.