Bihar Assembly elections-2025: What mistake did Maithili Thakur make that could cost her dearly?
Maithili Thakur: Voting is underway for the first phase of the Bihar Assembly elections-2025. In the first phase, voting is also taking place in the Alinagar constituency of Mithila, where folk singer Maithili Thakur is contesting on a Bharatiya Janata Party ticket. But just hours before the vote, Maithili has done something that could prove fatal for her.
Just before the first phase of voting, prominent leaders from all parties have appealed to voters to celebrate the grand festival of democracy by voting. All have released videos and posted them on social media, urging people to vote as much as possible.
In this context, Maithili Thakur, the BJP candidate from the Alinagar constituency and a folk singer, has also posted a video on her Instagram account appealing to voters. However, she has made a mistake that could prove costly for her.
What mistake did Maithili Thakur make?
In fact, in her video message, Maithili Thakur has appealed to people to vote for the Bharatiya Janata Party instead of exercising their right to vote. Posting the video on Instagram, Maithili wrote, "Bihar is ready, NDA government again... The people of Alinagar have pledged to elect a government of good governance, progress, and stability by pressing the lotus symbol on EVM serial number 1 on November 6th."
What does the Representation of the People Act say?
Under Section 126(1)(B) of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, any kind of election campaigning or disseminating "election matter" to the public is prohibited from 48 hours before voting and until the end of voting. "Election matter" means any message, statement, program, or material that influences the voter's decision or creates an atmosphere in favor or against any party or candidate.
If any person or organization campaigns or breaks the rules during this period, they face a two-year imprisonment, a fine, or both. Additionally, there is a provision that if a public representative is sentenced to two years or more, their membership is terminated.
Can Maithili lose her MLA status
In such a situation, if Maithili Thakur wins the election and becomes an MLA, and someone subsequently approaches the Election Commission or the court regarding this issue, she could face difficulties. She could be found guilty in this case and her MLA status could be revoked.
We say this because after this video of Maithili Thakur surfaced, many people tagged the Election Commission on X and demanded action. However, the Election Commission has not yet responded to the posts demanding action.
Prakash Kumar Pandey