Despite 9.6 million followers, YouTuber Manish Kashyap loses Bihar seat by 50,366 votes

Jan Suraaj Party (JSP) candidate and a famous YouTuber Manish Kashyap lost the 2025 Bihar Assembly elections from the Chanpatia constituency by a margin of over 50,000 votes.

Despite the strong buzz created by his massive online following, Kashyap — whose real name is Tripurari Kumar Tiwari — couldn’t garner enough support to surpass his seasoned political opponents.

He trailed behind Congress's Abhishek Ranjan and BJP's Umakant Singh. He polled a little over 37,000 votes.

The 34-year-old graduate, who commands 9.6 million subscribers on YouTube, gained visibility through his commentary on regional issues before entering electoral politics.

In 2023, Kashyap was arrested by the Tamil Nadu police over accusations of sharing misinformation about alleged attacks on Bihari migrants. He joined the BJP in 2024 but later exited to contest on a JSP ticket, banking on his digital reach to boost his electoral prospects.

He had declared total assets of Rs 88.4 lakh in his election affidavit, including Rs 53.4 lakh in movable assets, along with liabilities of Rs 17 lakh, and had two registered criminal cases.

Kashyap’s defeat underscores the difficulty for new entrants to convert online popularity into electoral success in constituencies dominated by traditional political forces.

Meanwhile, the Mahagathbandhan’s bid to reclaim power in Bihar faced setbacks, with the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) winning on 202 seats.