Maithili Thakur

Maithili Thakur hails from Benipatti, Madhubani district, Bihar, born into a family deeply rooted in music. Her father, Ramesh Thakur, is a musician and music teacher, while her mother is Bharti Thakur. She nurtured her musical talents from a very young age, learning Maithili folk, Hindustani classical music, harmonium, and tabla under the guidance of her grandfather and father, starting at just four years old. When she was about six years old, her family relocated to Delhi to pursue better opportunities.

Her early education included homeschooling until Class 5, followed by attendance at an MCD school, and she later received a music scholarship to Bal Bhavan International School. She completed her Bachelor of Arts from Bharati College, University of Delhi. Maithili's musical journey on television began with appearances on 'Little Champs' in 2011 and 'Indian Idol Junior' in 2015. She achieved a significant milestone by winning the 'I Genius Young Singing Star' competition in 2016, which led to the release of her album 'Ya Rabba'. Her breakthrough came in 2017 when she emerged as the runner-up in Season 1 of the singing reality show 'Rising Star'.

Maithili, often accompanied by her younger brothers Rishav and Ayachi, successfully leveraged digital platforms like YouTube and Facebook, where their videos featuring folk, devotional, and classical songs in multiple Indian languages garnered millions of views. She is recognized for her efforts in promoting Madhubani art through her music. Initially, she had distanced herself from Bollywood, citing concerns about the industry's culture, but made a comeback in 2024 by singing 'Kisi Roz' for a film. Throughout her career, she has received numerous accolades, including the Ustad Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskar and the Cultural Ambassador of the Year Award from Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

In October 2025, Maithili Thakur formally stepped into the political arena by joining the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Inspired by leaders like Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, she expressed her commitment to serving society and contributing to Bihar's development. She was subsequently declared the BJP candidate from the Alinagar assembly constituency for the 2025 Bihar Legislative Assembly election, filing her nomination papers on 18 October 2025.

In November 2025, Maithili Thakur entered the Bihar Assembly from the Alinagar constituency, receiving 84,915 votes and finishing ahead by a margin of 11,730 votes, marking her successful transition from cultural prominence to electoral representation.