Jan Suraaj Party founder Prashant Kishor said the Bankipur by-election result was a message to the BJP leadership to choose a capable Chief Minister for Bihar, as he maintained a commanding lead in the constituency. Addressing supporters after extending his advantage during the counting process, Kishor said the bypoll was about more than electing an MLA and reflected the aspirations of Bihar’s people for better governance.
“This is the victory of the people of Bankipur. As we stated during the election campaign, this was not just an election to choose an MLA. It was an attempt by the people of Bihar to send a message to the BJP’s central leadership that they should appoint a good person as the Chief Minister of Bihar,” he said.
He added that the state needed a leader with integrity who could improve education, create employment and stop the migration of young people.
“They do not want a person with a criminal background or questionable conduct, character, or reputation to lead Bihar. They want a good Chief Minister who can improve education, create employment opportunities for the youth, and ensure that the children of Bihar do not have to migrate elsewhere for work… The important point is that Bihar needs good leadership and real development. Before the Lok Sabha elections, Prime Minister Modi, the BJP, and Amit Shah should focus on improving Bihar, creating jobs for its youth, and stopping migration. That is our only objective. We do not want to become MLAs merely to award contracts. Our sole objective is the development of Bihar,” Kishor said.
After 26 rounds of counting, Kishor, contesting on the ‘School Bag’ symbol, had secured 53,566 votes and was leading by 15,864 votes over BJP candidate Neeraj Kumar Sinha, who had polled 37,702 votes. RJD candidate Rekha Kumari was in third place with 11,933 votes.
The widening margin has drawn attention as Bankipur has long been regarded as a BJP stronghold. The by-election is Kishor’s first Assembly contest and a victory would mark a significant milestone for the Jan Suraaj Party.
The bypoll was necessitated after BJP leader Nitin Nabin vacated the seat following his election as the party’s national president and his move to the Rajya Sabha.
Polling was held on 30 July, recording a voter turnout of 34.30 per cent. Around 1.30 lakh votes are being counted from 422 polling stations at AN College in Patna across 30 rounds.
Despite the trends, Bihar Assembly Speaker and senior BJP leader Dr Prem Kumar said it was too early to draw conclusions, adding that the picture would become clearer later in the day.
JD(U) national spokesperson Rajiv Ranjan also remained confident of an NDA victory, saying BJP candidate Neeraj Sinha would ultimately win by a historic margin and arguing that the alliance performs best when elections are fought on the issue of development.
Meanwhile, the BJP has reportedly prepared around two quintals of laddoos in anticipation of a victory, despite its candidate trailing during the counting.
Security around the counting centre has been tightened, with more than 300 personnel deployed and drone surveillance monitoring the surrounding area. Traffic restrictions have also been imposed near AN College, while separate routes and parking arrangements have been made for candidates, polling agents and media personnel.
With only a few rounds of counting remaining, attention is now focused on whether Kishor can turn his substantial lead into a landmark victory in one of the BJP’s strongest constituencies in Bihar.
(With IANS inputs)
