Popular Bhojpuri actor and singer Shatrughan Yadav, famously known as Khesari Lal Yadav, who contested the Bihar Assembly elections from the Chapra constituency on an RJD ticket, conceded defeat even before the official announcement by the Election Commission. According to the Election Commission's website, after 21 rounds of counting, Khesari was trailing by 8,578 votes to the BJP's Chhoti Kumari, as of 7:30 pm.
Amid the counting, Khesari Lal Yadav conceded defeat in a post on X and said he will keep raising people's issues.
Taking to X, Khesari shared lines from Hindi poet Shivmangal Singh Suman's poem that read, "Kya haar mein kya jeet mein, kinchin nahin bhayabheet main, Sangharsh path par jo mila, Ye bhi sahi wo bhi sahi" (Whether in defeat or victory, I am not afraid at all; Whatever I found on the path of struggle, this too is right, that too is right).
Humbled by defeat, Khesari wrote, "The people have always been paramount for me, still are today, and will remain so forever! The issue was raised back then too, and will be raised ahead as well."
Khesari was up against the BJP's Chhoti Kumari. As of 7:35 pm, Chhoti was leading by 8,578 votes after 21 rounds of counting.
Another famous singer, 25-year-old Maithili Thakur, who contested the election on a BJP ticket from the Alinagar seat, won with a margin of 11,730 votes.
With counting currently ongoing, the NDA is headed towards a landslide victory with more than 200 seats. The RJD-led Mahagathbandhan faced a crushing defeat, winning just 35 seats.
