Prashant Kishor Wins Bankipur Bypoll
Jan Suraaj Party founder Prashant Kishor has won the Bankipur Assembly bypoll in Bihar, defeating the BJP in one of its strongest urban constituencies and securing his party’s first electoral victory.
Prashant Kishor Wins Bankipur Bypoll
Kishor secured 64,151 votes and defeated BJP candidate Neeraj Kumar Sinha by 19,324 votes. RJD candidate Rekha Kumari finished third in the closely watched contest.
The victory marked Kishor’s electoral debut after years of working as a political strategist for parties across India. Counting was conducted under tight security at A.N. College in Patna, with Kishor maintaining his lead through successive rounds.
The result also gave the Jan Suraaj Party its first seat in the Bihar Legislative Assembly after it failed to win any constituency in the 2025 State election.
BJP Loses Bankipur Stronghold
Bankipur had remained with the BJP for nearly three decades. Nitin Nabin represented the constituency for five consecutive terms and won the 2025 election by 51,936 votes.
The bypoll became necessary after Nabin vacated the Assembly seat following his election to the Rajya Sabha. The BJP subsequently fielded Neeraj Kumar Sinha after its original nominee, Abhishek Kumar Sinha, withdrew for family reasons.
BJP national president Nitin Nabin said the party would conduct a detailed review to determine the reasons behind the defeat.
Jan Suraaj Secures First Victory
The result represents a significant recovery for Jan Suraaj following its poor performance in the 2025 Bihar election, when it received around 3.34% of the statewide vote but failed to open its account.
Kishor campaigned on governance, education, employment and administrative reforms while presenting the bypoll as a test of the BJP-led Bihar government. His victory gives Jan Suraaj formal representation in the Assembly and strengthens its position as an emerging political force in the State.
