Khesari Lal Yadav Bihar Election 2025: Bhojpuri superstar Khesari Lal Yadav, officially known as Shatrughan Kumar Yadav, has entered the political arena as the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) candidate from Bihar’s Chhapra Assembly seat.
His nomination for the 2025 Bihar Legislative Assembly election has placed renewed focus on his extraordinary rise from rural hardship to regional stardom.
Khesari Lal Yadav’s early life
Born on 15 March 1986 in Chhapra, Bihar, Khesari Lal grew up in a financially strained household. His father, Mangaru Lal Yadav, worked tirelessly and used to sell chana on the streets each morning and took up a security guard’s job at night. While his parents earned a living in Delhi, Khesari Lal and his six siblings remained in their hometown under their uncle’s care. His early years were shaped by struggle, responsibility and survival.
He attended a government school but wasn’t keen on academics, and by Class 10, he left his studies to support the family. Much of his childhood was spent grazing cattle and selling milk.
Khesari Lal Yadav’s Bhojpuri movie career
Despite the challenges, his interest in performing arts began early. By the late 1990s, he started performing in local Bhojpuri theatre, where he sang during Ramayana and Mahabharata recitals and mastered the folk dance form Launda Naach. His popularity as a singer gradually grew, encouraging him to move to Mumbai. His breakthrough came in 2012 with the Bhojpuri film Sajan Chale Sasural, marking the start of a prolific screen career. Over the years, he has acted in more than 100 Bhojpuri and Hindi films and recorded over 5,000 songs and became one of the biggest names in the industry.
Khesari Lal Yadav’s election constituency and party
In October 2025, his political debut was made official when the RJD named him its candidate from the Chhapra constituency. After filing his nomination, Yadav declared, “My heart has always been with the RJD,” underscoring his long-standing admiration for the party. His election affidavit revealed assets worth Rs 24.81 crore. Speaking to the media, he added, “I’ve come from the soil, and I’ll always stand for the people who made me who I am.”
The Chhapra constituency is facing an intense face-off between Khesari Lal Yadav (RJD) and Chhoti Kumari (BJP), with early trends indicating a tight battle.