Prashant Kishor wins Bihar’s Bankipur, assembly seat that BJP never lost since 1995
Jan Suraaj Party founder Prashant Kishor on Monday, August 3, wrested the Bankipur assembly constituency of Bihar, a BJP bastion which the party had never lost since 1995, in a by-poll that was necessitated after its national president Nitin Nabin vacated the seat.
He defeated his nearest BJP rival Neeraj Kumar by a margin of 19,324 votes.
Kishor, a celebrated poll strategist, created history on his electoral debut when he garnered 64,151 votes, over Kumar, a low-key BJP youth wing leader, who was hurriedly fielded by the party after its candidate Abhishek “Bunty” pulled out at the eleventh hour, citing “family reasons.
CPI(ML) Liberation general secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya congratulated the Jan Suraaj Party founder on his victory in the Bankipur Assembly bypoll, describing it as a significant verdict by Bihar's youth against the BJP-led state government.
In a post on X, Bhattacharya termed Kishor's victory a "well-earned debut victory" and said the bypoll result reflected public anger against the ruling dispensation.
"Congratulations to Prashant Kishor on his well-earned debut victory in Bankipur bypoll. Kudos to the youth of Bihar for delivering such a telling blow to the supremely arrogant, incompetent and tyrannical BJP government of Bihar," he said.
Bhattacharya also congratulated the Congress for retaining the Datia Assembly seat in Madhya Pradesh.
"Congratulations to @INCIndia on retaining Datia in MP," he said.
Jan Suraaj Party founder Prashant Kishor on Monday was leading by 19,246 votes over the BJP's Neeraj Kumar after 32 rounds of counting, the Election Commission said.
Bankipur is a BJP bastion where a bypoll was necessitated after its president Nitin Nabin vacated the seat.
Kishor, a celebrated poll strategist who made his electoral debut, had established a lead from the very first round over his BJP rival Neeraj Kumar Sinha. Kishor polled 63,946 votes while Kumar garnered 44,700 votes.
Congress candidate Ghanshyam Singh took a decisive lead of 12,607 votes over his nearest rival, Ashutosh Tiwari of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), after the 12th round of counting for the by-election to the Datia assembly seat in Madhya Pradesh on Monday, officials said.
