Voting is currently underway in Bihar’s Bankipur assembly constituency, marking a crucial test for Jan Suraaj leader Prashant Kishor as he eyes a debut in the state’s politics. The bypoll, which began at 7 AM on Thursday, follows a late-night drama involving the detention of Jan Suraaj workers by police.
The Bankipur bypoll has taken the shape of a triangular contest, with the Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP), the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), and Prashant Kishor’s Jan Suraaj vying for the seat. Approximately 3.80 lakh eligible voters will cast their ballots to decide the fate of 26 candidates contesting the bypoll.
The bypoll was necessitated after BJP MLA Nitin Nabin was elected to the Rajya Sabha in April, following his elevation as national president of the BJP earlier this year. The BJP has fielded Neeraj Kumar Sinha, a debutant, while the RJD has nominated Rekha Gupta. Prashant Kishor, who opted out of contesting the Bihar assembly elections last year, is also in the fray.
Bankipur, carved out of the erstwhile Patna West Assembly seat after the 2008 delimitation, is considered a BJP stronghold. The seat has been represented by the BJP since 2006, with Nitin Nabin holding the position until his elevation. His father, Nabin Kishore Prasad Sinha, represented the seat before him.
The bypoll is being closely watched as an indicator of urban sentiment in Bihar, given the constituency’s sizeable middle-class electorate, trading community, and distinct caste composition.
