Prashant Kishor gives Jan Suraaj its maiden victory by bagging Bankipur; BJP accepts public mandate in bypoll
Patna, Aug 3 (IANS) The counting of votes for the Bankipur Assembly bye-election has concluded after 31 rounds, with Jan Suraaj founder Prashant Kishor emerging as the clear winner in the counting trends. This is the first poll victory for the party which is still in the nascent stage in Bihar.
Prashant Kishor secured 63,203 votes, while BJP candidate Neeraj Kumar Sinha received 44,250 votes. RJD candidate Rekha Gupta finished third with 14,085 votes.
Kishor’s winning margin over Neeraj Sinha stood at 18,953 votes.
However, at the time of the latest update, the result had not yet been formally declared by the Election Commission, meaning the official declaration is still awaited.
Reacting to the outcome, Bihar minister and senior BJP leader, Vijay Kumar Sinha said the party respects the democratic mandate and would accept the people’s decision.
He emphasised that the BJP does not blame the Election Commission or Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) when it loses an election.
According to Sinha, the party has complete faith in democracy and constitutional institutions and will accept whatever verdict the electorate delivers.
He said the Bankipur result would be thoroughly reviewed at the organisational level to identify shortcomings and understand why the party failed to retain the seat.
Sinha also pointed out that the NDA had won 202 seats in the 2025 Bihar Assembly elections, arguing that the latest result should be viewed in that broader context.
He said the party continues to have the people’s support and will move forward with renewed determination.
BJP Bihar state President Sanjay Saraogi also acknowledged the importance of the public mandate.
“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.
Saraogi said that the BJP will conduct a detailed organisational review to determine why Bankipur voters shifted away from it and what shortcomings need to be addressed.
He maintained that significant development work had been undertaken in Bankipur before and after the BJP government came to power.
Nevertheless, he said, the party would respect the electorate’s verdict and seek to understand the expectations of voters.
Saraogi also stated that the BJP’s commitment to the development of Bankipur would continue regardless of the election outcome.
The Bankipur result is particularly significant for Prashant Kishor, who contested an Assembly election for the first time.
Bankipur has traditionally been considered a BJP stronghold, making Kishor’s victory a major political development.
With the counting completed, all that remains is the formal declaration of the result by the Election Commission.
Once officially confirmed, Prashant Kishor will enter the Bihar Assembly as the new MLA from Bankipur, marking a major electoral breakthrough for Jan Suraaj.
–IANS
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