Prashant Kishor eyes BJP bastion Bankipur in Bihar bypoll
Patna, May 27
Jan Suraaj convener Prashant Kishor has announced that his party will contest the upcoming Bankipur Assembly by-election, directly challenging the BJP in what has long been regarded as one of the party's strongest urban bastions in Bihar.
Addressing a public meeting in Sheohar, Prashant Kishor asserted that for the past four to five decades, a single political family associated with the BJP had dominated Bankipur politics, while parties such as the RJD and Congress had repeatedly failed to unseat them.
"This time Jan Suraaj intends to enter the BJP's fortress and defeat them," Kishor said.
He claimed that his party alone would offer a genuine and direct contest in the constituency.
The Bankipur Assembly constituency has historically been a stronghold of the Nitin Nabin family.
Before Nitin Nabin, his father Nabin Kishore Prasad Sinha also maintained a significant political presence in the constituency.
Following his father's death, Nitin Nabin entered active politics and subsequently won the Bankipur seat multiple times, further consolidating the BJP's influence there.
In December 2025, Nitin Nabin was elevated as the BJP's National Working President and later became the party's National President.
Subsequently, in March 2026, he was elected to the Rajya Sabha from Bihar.
After assuming membership of the Upper House, he resigned from the Bankipur Assembly seat, making a by-election necessary.
The announcement by Jan Suraaj has added a new dimension to Bihar's political landscape, particularly as the party seeks to establish itself as a serious alternative force in urban constituencies.
During the last Bihar Assembly elections, Jan Suraaj contested 238 of the 242 seats and reportedly secured nearly 16 lakh votes statewide, though it failed to win a single seat.
Political observers now view the Bankipur by-election as an important test of Jan Suraaj's organisational strength and of Prashant Kishor's strategy of positioning the party as a challenger to both the BJP-led NDA and the opposition Mahagathbandhan in Bihar politics.
— IANS
Reader Comments
PK is a political strategist, so he knows how to pick his battles. Bankipur is a tough nut to crack, but his claim of a 'genuine contest' is interesting. The RJD and Congress have tried and failed here, so why not give Jan Suraaj a chance? But I'm skeptical—16 lakh votes in a state election is nothing to sneeze at, but zero seats shows they lack grassroots connect. Let's see if this bypoll changes that.
Finally, some competition in Bihar's urban seats! 🙌 Bankipur has been a one-family show for too long. Nitin Nabin walked into Rajya Sabha, left the seat vacant, and now a bypoll. This is the perfect opportunity for a challenger. Whether PK can pull it off or not, at least voters will have a real choice beyond the usual 'a-b-c' of Bihar politics. 🤞
Prashant Kishor's ambition is admirable, but let's be honest—Jan Suraaj is still a fringe player. They contested 238 seats and couldn't win one. Bankipur is a BJP stronghold with a legendary local leader. PK might be a master strategist for national campaigns, but building a party from scratch is different. I wish him well, but this feels like a David vs. Goliath battle without a slingshot.
As someone who follows Indian politics from abroad, this is fascinating. The Nabin family's hold on Bankipur is legendary—father and son both dominated. But Prashant Kishor knows how to run a campaign. The real question is whether urban Bihar voters are ready for a new alternative or if they'll stick with the known entity. This bypoll could be a bellwether for 2030 state elections.
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