Can Neha Sharma’s Star Power Secure Victory for Her Father in Bhagalpur? A Look at Past Election Trends

Bhagalpur: Bollywood actress Neha Sharma brought her star power to the 2025 Bhagalpur Assembly election campaign, actively promoting her father, Congress MLA Ajit Sharma. However, given Ajit Sharma’s narrow victory in previous assembly elections and a heavy defeat in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, questions remain about whether Neha’s glamour can translate into votes. All eyes are now on the Bhagalpur results on 14 November.

Glamorous Campaigning
During the Bihar Assembly election campaign, Neha Sharma captured attention with her glamorous presence. In Instagram reels, she was seen addressing enthusiastic crowds from an open jeep alongside her father, Ajit Sharma. Supporters described her as a “trump card” for the Congress. However, past election performance raises doubts about whether her celebrity appeal can overcome the constituency’s political dynamics.

Mixed Impact in the Past
Neha Sharma, who has over 20 million followers on Instagram, has campaigned in Bhagalpur for her father during previous elections. In the 2024 Lok Sabha election, she appeared on Bhagalpur streets in an open jeep alongside Ajit Sharma, but the public reaction was lukewarm. Ajit Sharma lost to the JDU candidate by over 166,000 votes, indicating that star power alone did not sway the electorate.

Past Wins and Losses
Ajit Sharma’s journey in Bhagalpur has been challenging. After years of defeats against BJP veteran Ashwini Kumar Choubey, he won the seat for the first time in a 2014 by-election. In the 2020 assembly polls, he narrowly defeated BJP’s Rohit Pandey by just 1,113 votes—less than 0.7% of total votes. The entry of Neelam Devi from Chirag Paswan-led LJP, who secured over 20,000 votes, split the NDA vote, giving Ajit Sharma a marginal advantage. Without this wildcard factor, BJP may have reclaimed the seat.

Lok Sabha Defeat
In the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, Ajit Sharma contested but lost badly to JDU’s Ajay Kumar Mandal by a margin of 166,646 votes.

Eyes on 14 November
A year after the Lok Sabha defeat, Ajit Sharma is making a strong effort to retain his assembly seat. Once again, his Mahindra Thar rolled through Bhagalpur streets with Neha Sharma campaigning alongside him. While Neha’s celebrity undoubtedly attracts crowds and social media attention, past trends suggest converting star appeal into actual votes remains a significant challenge.