'People of Bihar allowed him to enter Assembly': Dilip Ghosh on Prashant Kishor's win in Bankipur bypolls
New Town, August 4
West Bengal Minister Dilip Ghosh said on Tuesday that Prashant Kishor's win in the Bankipur bypolls marks the beginning of his electoral journey, adding that the people of Bihar have finally allowed him to enter the House after years of efforts.
Speaking to the media, Ghosh said that Prashant Kishor had been trying to win for a long time and, although he did not contest the general elections, voters had now elected him to the Assembly.
"He's (Prashant Kishor) been trying for a long time. If we didn't run in the general elections, at least the people of Bihar have allowed him to enter the House," Ghosh said.
Meanwhile, Bharatiya Janata Party BJP chief Nitin Nabin said that the party will "introspect" and review the results of Bankipur and Datia.
"We accept the mandate received in today's three assembly by-elections. We express our heartfelt gratitude to the people of Manjalpur assembly constituency in Gujarat for expressing their faith in the Bharatiya Janata Party. We extend our warm congratulations to all the dedicated workers and office-bearers of the BJP for this victory," he wrote on Monday.
Coming on the heels of intense youth-led protests over exam paper leaks and rising unemployment, the loss signals a shifting political wind across the Hindi heartland, exposing vulnerable fault lines in the BJP's traditional strongholds.
In Bihar's urban bastion of Bankipur--a saffron stronghold since 1995 vacated by BJP National President Nitin Nabin--Jan Suraaj Party founder Prashant Kishor secured his maiden electoral victory by a resounding 19,324 votes.
Simultaneously, in Madhya Pradesh's Datia, the Congress retained the key seat after defeating the BJP by over 6,000 votes.
The BJP's sole consolation came from Gujarat, where it retained the Manjalpur seat in Vadodara, albeit with a drastically reduced victory margin compared to the 2022 elections. BJP retained the seat, with Satish Patel beating Congress's Bhikhabhai Rabari by 30,630 votes. But that margin is a steep fall from the 1,00,754-vote landslide the party won there in the 2022 assembly election.
— ANI
Reader Comments
Dilip Ghosh's comment is quite ironic, actually. He says "people of Bihar allowed him to enter the House" as if it's a favour! The truth is, the youth and the common people of Bihar are fed up with unemployment and paper leaks. They wanted change, and Prashant Kishor represented that change. This isn't just about one seat; it's about the mood of the nation. 🗳️
Honestly, I think the BJP needs to introspect seriously. The victory margin in Gujarat's Manjalpur dropped from over 1 lakh votes to just 30,000. That's a huge decline! People are angry about exam paper leaks, unemployment, and price rise. Nitin Nabin saying they'll "review" is just political talk. The ground reality is different.
Great to see Prashant Kishor win! He's not a traditional politician, but he understands the pulse of the people. The youth of Bihar are frustrated with the lack of jobs and the tainted education system. This victory isn't personal; it's the voice of the people demanding accountability. Well done, Bihar! 👏
I'm a neutral observer, but one thing is clear: the BJP cannot take any seat for granted anymore. Bankipur was a stronghold for decades, and they lost it. Datia also slipped away. Even their Gujarat win was with a much smaller margin. This is a democratic warning, and they must address the issues of the youth and farmers seriously.
Dilip Ghosh's statement sounds a bit condescending, but
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