Prashant Kishor Defeats BJP In Bankipur, Marks Jan Suraaj’s Maiden Win

PATNA-Jan Suraaj founder Prashant Kishor won the Bankipur Assembly by-election after the counting of votes concluded on August 3, handing his party its first electoral victory since its formation and ending the BJP’s hold over the constituency.

Kishor secured 63,203 votes, defeating BJP candidate Neeraj Kumar Sinha, who polled 44,250 votes. Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) candidate Rekha Gupta finished third with 14,085 votes.

Kishor won by a margin of 18,953 votes.

Reacting to the outcome, Bihar Minister and senior BJP leader Vijay Kumar Sinha said the party respected the people’s mandate and would accept the verdict.

He said the BJP does not blame the Election Commission or Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) when it loses an election and has complete faith in democracy and constitutional institutions.

Sinha said the Bankipur result would be reviewed at the organizational level to identify shortcomings and understand why the party failed to retain the seat.

BJP Bihar President Sanjay Saraogi also accepted the outcome, saying, “Whatever the result, the BJP will accept it with humility. In a democratic system, the people’s decision is supreme, and our party fully respects it.”

Saraogi said the BJP would conduct a detailed organizational review to understand why Bankipur voters shifted away from the party. He added that the BJP would continue to work for the development of Bankipur regardless of the election outcome.

The result is significant for Kishor, who contested an Assembly election for the first time. Bankipur has long been regarded as a BJP stronghold, making the victory a major political breakthrough for Jan Suraaj. (IANS)