Bhojpuri actor Khesari Lal Yadav loses electoral debut from Chapra

Bhojpuri actor Khesari Lal Yadav, contesting under his real name Shatrughan Yadav, lost his electoral debut from the Chapra constituency in the recently held Bihar Assembly elections. The Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) candidate was defeated by the Bharatiya Janata Party’s Chhoti Kumari by over 7,000 votes.

Born in Chapra, Yadav is a prominent Bhojpuri film star and playback singer. His journey from a litti-chokha seller to a leading name in Bhojpuri cinema is widely known. He rose to fame with hit songs such as “Piyawa Gaye Re Hamar Saudi Re Bhauji” and “Saiyan Arab Gaye Na”. He later transitioned to acting, making his debut with Sajan Chale Sasuraal, a box-office hit. His subsequent films, including Naagin, Betaab, and Sapoot, cemented his popularity across the Bhojpuri belt.

The 39-year-old actor formally joined the RJD on October 16 in the presence of party leader Tejashwi Yadav.

In contrast to his stardom, his opponent Chhoti Kumari, a grassroots political activist and the current head of the Zila Panchayat in Chapra, secured the BJP ticket after the party dropped its two-time MLA CN Gupta.

Yadav’s defeat mirrors the overall performance of the RJD, which won only 25 out of 143 seats it contested — the poorest strike rate among major parties. The RJD-led Mahagathbandhan collapsed almost entirely in front of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), which swept the polls with 202 seats. The Opposition bloc was reduced to just 35 seats.

Interestingly, Yadav entered the fray after his wife, Chanda Yadav, who was initially expected to be the RJD candidate, was found to be missing from the voter list. Announcing his candidacy, Yadav had said he was contesting for the development of Chapra.