Bhojpuri actors Khesari Lal, Jyoti Singh and Ritesh Pandey fail to create magic in Bihar Polls

Bhojpuri actors Khesari Lal, Jyoti Singh and Ritesh Pandey fail to create magic in Bihar Polls

The Bihar Assembly Election results brought a surprising setback for Bhojpuri cinema’s biggest names. Stars who entered the political field with high hopes found themselves struggling to keep pace. Khesari Lal Yadav, Jyoti Singh and Ritesh Pandey, all three well-known faces in the entertainment industry, failed to convert their popularity into votes.

Khesari Lal Yadav contested from the Chapra seat on a ticket from the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD).

He began his campaign with loud slogans, strong crowd support and a belief that his stardom would translate into political success. But when counting began, he quickly fell behind. His BJP opponent, Chhoti Kumari, maintained a steady lead, showing that star power alone cannot sway the electorate in a tough contest.

In Karakat, independent candidate Pawan Singh chose not to contest but his wife, Jyoti Singh, entered the race. She was hoping to create a strong debut impression. However, she also slipped to the third position early in the counting. The constituency saw a tight fight between JD(U) candidate Mahabali Singh and CPI(ML) nominee, leaving little room for her to catch up.

A similar picture emerged in the Karhaia Assembly seat, where singer Ritesh Pandey contested on a Jan Suraj Party ticket. Despite his popularity as a Bhojpuri artist, the numbers did not favour him. He remained stuck in fourth position as BJP’s Rashik Singh and Congress candidate Santosh Kumar Mishra stayed ahead through most rounds of counting. Uday Pratap Singh secured the third position, widening the gap further.

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Across these key seats, the message was clear: star status did not guarantee voter confidence. All three candidates were banking on their fan base and public visibility, but elections demand more than celebrity appeal. Local issues, party organisation, caste equations and ground-level work played a much bigger role.

The Bihar Assembly elections this time saw strong voter turnout in both phases held on November 6 and 11. The NDA surged ahead comfortably, while the Opposition struggled to keep up. In the middle of this political wave, Bhojpuri celebrities found themselves unable to match the pace of experienced politicians.

RJD candidate Khesari Lal Yadav is trailing in Chhapra with 9,526 votes, while BJP’s Chhoti Kumari leads at 12,611. Early trends suggest a competitive contest, but Khesari has a considerable gap to overcome as counting continues.