![\"Celebrities](\"https:\/\/static.toiimg.com\/thumb\/msid-47529300,imgsize-110164,width-400,height-225,resizemode-72\/47529300.jpg\")
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\nPatna:<\/span> Bihar\u2019s assembly elections are turning into a spectacle where glitter meets grassroots politics and star power threatens to eclipse seasoned political experience. In a dramatic pivot, major parties are staking their fortunes on singers and film personalities whose influence extends far beyond the stage or screen, reaching millions offline and online. For a state long defined by caste, local clout and decades of political experience, this represents a seismic shift in what it means to be a \u201cwinnable\u201d candidate.The RJD has placed its bet on Bhojpuri superstar Khesari Lal Yadav in Chhapra constituency, where he faces the BJP\u2019s Chhoti Kumari. Unlike in 2020 and 2015, when the RJD ticket went to Randhir Kumar Singh, Khesari\u2019s charisma and fan following now take centre stage. His campaign anthems, such as \u201cTejaswi ke bina sudhaar na hui, Lalu bina chaalu Bihar na hui,\u201d have gone viral on social media, energising youth supporters and dominating reels across platforms.The BJP, meanwhile, has fielded folk sensation Maithili Thakur from Darbhanga\u2019s Alinagar seat against RJD\u2019s Binod Mishra. Thakur\u2019s cultural resonance through Chhath and folk songs appeals to the Maithil Brahmin vote bank, demonstrating the party\u2019s strategy of blending tradition with celebrity magnetism.In the high-stakes Kargahar seat, the fledgling Jan Suraaj has chosen actor-singer Ritesh Pandey to challenge incumbent Congress MLA Santosh Kumar Mishra and JD(U)\u2019s Bashishth Singh. Pandey\u2019s official party song, \u201cHar ghar ke aawaz baruye, aane wala jan suraaj baruye,\u201d is already gaining traction online, signalling the growing importance of digital campaigns in mobilising support.All three celebrities boast millions of followers across social media platforms, highlighting a new electoral paradigm where charisma, media appeal and viral content may outweigh traditional political work.Yet, this strategy is not without criticism. Political analyst DM Diwakar warns that it may undermine democratic representation. \u201cThis is not a new thing, but what is happening now is that celebrities who do not have much experience even in their own field are getting tickets. This means that our politics has gone to a lower level, and the biggest loss is that of the people,\u201d he said.Diwakar cautioned that star appeal cannot substitute for ground-level knowledge. \u201cThe crowd can be converted into voters when you have booth-level workers. If there are people from your party on the ground, they convert the crowd into voters.\u201d The rise of celebrity candidates thus signals both a bold experiment in energising youth and a challenge to traditional political structures, as Bihar enters a new, glitzy phase of electoral politics.<\/div>\n