The vote counting for the Bankipur assembly seat by-election in Bihar is currently underway, featuring a total of 31 candidates from major parties alongside independent contenders. Among the contestants, independent candidates sharing names with senior political figures Lalu Prasad Yadav and Nitish Kumar have drawn considerable attention. According to figures from the 15th round of counting, the independent candidate named Lalu Prasad Yadav managed to secure only 43 votes, while the candidate named Nitish Kumar received 65 votes. Notably, both individuals gathered fewer votes than the option of NOTA, which recorded 304 votes up to that same round.
Jan Suraaj Candidate Takes the Lead
Election officials report that Prashant Kishor, representing the Jan Suraaj Party, has maintained a steady lead throughout the counting process. By the end of the 15th round, Kishor had built a lead of 8202 votes over BJP candidate Neeraj Kumar Sinha. Following this substantial lead, celebrations broke out among supporters gathered at the Jan Suraaj Party headquarters.
Vote Breakdown Among Leading Candidates
By the 15th round of counting, the strategist turned politician Prashant Kishor accumulated 29752 votes, whereas Neeraj Kumar Sinha secured 21550 votes. Meanwhile, RJD candidate Rekha Gupta stood in third place with 6755 votes. Election authorities stated that a total of 31 rounds of counting are scheduled for this constituency. Voting commenced on Monday morning at 8 AM, drawing intense public interest regarding whether Kishor could capture the seat from the ruling party in his electoral debut. Detailed updates on the Bankipur by-election results can be tracked through official election portals.
Background of the By-election
This electoral contest became necessary following the resignation of BJP national president Nitin नवीन, who vacated the assembly seat in April after being elected to the Rajya Sabha. The BJP nominated lesser-known youth wing leader Neeraj Kumar Sinha to defend the seat. Conversely, the RJD re-nominated Rekha Gupta, who previously lost to Nitin नवीन by a margin exceeding 50000 votes in the 2025 assembly elections. Voter turnout for this by-election, held on July 30, dropped to 34.30 percent, marking a decline of over seven percentage points compared to the 41.45 percent recorded during the preceding general assembly polls.
