Prashant Kishor Set to Enter Bihar's Bankipur Bypoll, Aiming to Crack BJP's Long-held Stronghold

Jan Suraaj founder Prashant Kishor is likely to contest the July 30 Bankipur assembly bypoll in Patna, with the party set to formally decide after a core committee meeting on July 5.

The upcoming bypoll for the Bankipur assembly seat in Patna has become the biggest talking point in Bihar politics. According to sources within the Jan Suraaj party, its founder Prashant Kishor may himself contest from this seat, with a formal announcement expected in the coming days.

Decision to follow core committee meeting on July 5
Jan Suraaj state president Manoj Bharti said barely 25 to 26 days remain before the Bankipur bypoll. He said the party has already decided to field a strong candidate for the contest, and this will be finalised at a core committee meeting on July 5. Bharti added that over the past month, the party has held continuous conversations with people in Bankipur and interacted with them directly. Based on these interactions, the party believes residents of Bankipur are unhappy with the current BJP government.

Locals want Prashant Kishor himself in the fray
Bharti said local people feel it has become necessary to send a clear signal to the BJP and the NDA government that they are not satisfied with its functioning. In line with this, voters in Bankipur are demanding that Jan Suraaj field its own founder, Prashant Kishor, as the candidate. He said senior party leaders and workers are also increasingly of the view that Prashant Kishor should be the party's candidate for this bypoll. However, the final and official call on this will only come after discussions in the core committee on July 5.

Seat fell vacant after Nitin Nabin's resignation, voting on July 30
In last year's Bihar assembly elections, Prashant Kishor's party had fielded candidates on every seat in the state. Kishor himself had shortlisted two seats to contest from, but at the last moment chose to only campaign for the party instead of contesting. The Bankipur seat has now fallen vacant following the resignation of BJP president Nitin Nabin, necessitating this bypoll. Voting on the seat will take place on July 30. Jan Suraaj says there is visible anger among people against the Samrat Chaudhary government, and voters want Prashant Kishor present in the assembly to raise their issues directly. This is why the party is seriously considering fielding him from Bankipur.

Kishor's first-ever election contest
Notably, if Prashant Kishor contests from Bankipur, it will mark his first ever electoral contest. Voting for the seat will be held on July 30, while results will be declared on August 3. The Bankipur assembly seat has long been considered a BJP stronghold, with the party winning it five times in a row. If Kishor does contest from here, the bypoll could turn into a direct challenge to BJP inside its own bastion.

What this means for you
• Across India: The outcome will indicate how much of a direct challenge a newer political force like Jan Suraaj can pose to established parties, which could shape political calculations in other states too.
• In Bihar: For voters in Patna's Bankipur constituency, the July 30 vote will decide whether BJP's five-time stronghold holds or Jan Suraaj manages to break through, with results due on August 3.

Questions & Answers

1. When will voting take place in the Bankipur bypoll?
Voting for the Bankipur seat will be held on July 30.

2. When will the bypoll results be declared?
Results for the Bankipur bypoll will be announced on August 3.

3. Why did the Bankipur seat fall vacant?
The seat fell vacant after BJP president Nitin Nabin resigned.

4. Has Prashant Kishor contested an election before?
No, if he contests from Bankipur it would be his first-ever electoral contest.

5. When will Jan Suraaj make its official announcement?
The party is expected to make its official announcement on July 5, after a core committee meeting.

6. What is Bankipur's electoral history?
Bankipur is considered a BJP stronghold, with the party winning the seat five consecutive times.

7. Why didn't Prashant Kishor contest the last assembly election himself?
He had shortlisted two seats for himself but at the last moment decided to only campaign rather than contest.

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