Khesari Lal Yadav meets BJP's Nitin Nabin in Patna, fuels Bihar political buzz
Synopsis
Khesari Lal Yadav — a long-time RJD campaigner who even contested the 2025 Bihar Assembly election on the party's ticket — has now been photographed meeting BJP Bihar president Nitin Nabin. His explanation: a birthday visit. Bihar's political watchers are not so sure, given that Manoj Tiwari, Nirahua, and Ravi Kishan all took the same road before him.
Key Takeaways
Khesari Lal Yadav met BJP Bihar president Nitin Nabin in Patna on 24 May , triggering political speculation.
Khesari has been a close RJD supporter, publicly calling Lalu Prasad Yadav a father figure and contesting the 2025 Bihar Assembly election from Chhapra on an RJD ticket.
Khesari described the meeting as a birthday courtesy call and said he has no plans to join any political party .
Bhojpuri stars Manoj Tiwari , Ravi Kishan , Dinesh Lal Yadav 'Nirahua' , and Pawan Singh have previously made the switch to BJP .
Manoj Tiwari had earlier publicly invited Khesari to join the BJP .
Bhojpuri superstar and singer Khesari Lal Yadav met Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Bihar unit president Nitin Nabin in Patna on 24 May, setting off a fresh wave of political speculation about whether the entertainer could be preparing to switch allegiances from the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) to the ruling party. Photos of the meeting circulated widely on social media over the weekend, amplifying the chatter.
Why the Meeting Raised Eyebrows
Khesari has long been identified as a vocal supporter of RJD leader and Bihar Leader of Opposition Tejashwi Yadav, and has publicly described RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav as a father figure. He campaigned actively for the party during elections and contested the 2025 Bihar Assembly election from the Chhapra seat on an RJD ticket. His deep association with the party had firmly placed him in the anti-BJP camp in the state's political calculus.
What Khesari Said About the Visit
After the meeting, Khesari moved quickly to dispel the speculation, describing it as a birthday courtesy call. 'Nitin Nabin belongs to Bihar and currently holds a prominent leadership role in the country's largest political party. It is a matter of pride,' he said. He added that he has no plans to join any political party and characterised the interaction as a 'courtesy meeting.' People close to Khesari echoed the same line, saying no political agenda was on the table.
The Bhojpuri Celebrity-to-BJP Pattern
Despite the clarification, political observers in Bihar have been reluctant to dismiss the meeting entirely. The state has seen a string of prominent Bhojpuri entertainers cross over to the BJP in recent years — among them Manoj Tiwari, Ravi Kishan, Dinesh Lal Yadav 'Nirahua', and Pawan Singh. Notably, Manoj Tiwari had previously issued a public invitation to Khesari to join the party, lending additional weight to the current speculation.
Bihar's High-Voltage Political Climate
In Bihar's intensely watched political environment, any interaction between a prominent public figure and a party president rarely passes without scrutiny. The RJD has not issued a formal response, and the BJP has made no announcement. With the state's political alignments in flux ahead of future electoral cycles, even a birthday visit can become a flashpoint. Whether this meeting was purely social or the first step in a larger political realignment remains to be seen.
Point of View
But Bihar's political ecosystem does not grant the benefit of the doubt easily — and for good reason. The Bhojpuri belt has become a reliable recruitment ground for the BJP, with each celebrity defection from the RJD carrying symbolic weight beyond vote arithmetic. What is underreported is the RJD's silence: a party confident in its star campaigner would typically push back quickly. The absence of any counter-statement from Tejashwi Yadav's camp is itself a signal worth watching.
NationPress
8 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did Khesari Lal Yadav meet BJP's Nitin Nabin in Patna?
Khesari Lal Yadav says he met BJP Bihar president Nitin Nabin on 24 May to wish him on his birthday, describing it as a courtesy visit with no political agenda. However, the meeting has triggered widespread speculation given Khesari's long association with the RJD.
Is Khesari Lal Yadav joining the BJP?
Khesari Lal Yadav has explicitly denied any plans to join the BJP, calling the meeting with Nitin Nabin a 'courtesy meeting.' Neither the BJP nor the RJD has made any formal announcement regarding a change in his political affiliation.
What is Khesari Lal Yadav's political background?
Khesari Lal Yadav has been a prominent RJD supporter, campaigning for the party in elections and contesting the 2025 Bihar Assembly election from the Chhapra seat on an RJD ticket. He has publicly described Lalu Prasad Yadav as a father figure.
Which other Bhojpuri celebrities have joined the BJP?
Several prominent Bhojpuri entertainers have previously joined the BJP, including Manoj Tiwari, Ravi Kishan, Dinesh Lal Yadav 'Nirahua', and Pawan Singh. Manoj Tiwari had also publicly invited Khesari to join the party.
How has the RJD responded to the meeting?
The RJD has not issued a formal public response to the meeting between Khesari Lal Yadav and BJP's Nitin Nabin as of the time of reporting. Khesari's own camp has maintained the visit was purely social.
