Prashant Kishor picked Bankipur over a 'safe seat' to back his call for voting beyond the Lalu-BJP divide

Patna (Bihar) [India], July 6 : Jan Suraaj founder and Bankipur Assembly by-election candidate Prashant Kishor on Monday said he was not looking for a "safe seat" and had deliberately chosen to contest from Bankipur, a long-standing BJP bastion, to send a message that Bihar's voters should move beyond caste and religion while exercising their franchise.
He also urged people to stop voting out of fear for either Lalu Prasad Yadav or the BJP.
Speaking to ANI, Kishor said he had consciously avoided contesting from a politically safe constituency. Bankipur, which falls under the Patna Sahib Lok Sabha constituency, has long been considered a BJP stronghold. The seat has been represented by the BJP's incumbent National President Nitin Nabin, since 2010 and, before him, by his father, Nabin Kishore Prasad Sinha, making it one of the party's most established urban bastions in Bihar.
"... When people start their electoral politics, they look for safe seats for themselves... I am doing the opposite because I am telling the people of Bihar that if Bihar is to change, they must vote beyond caste and religion. They must stop voting out of fear of Lalu for BJP, or fear of BJP for Lalu. To prove the point I am explaining to the people of Bihar, I am contesting from a place where votes should not be sought in the name of caste or religion..." Kishor said.
Earlier in the day, the Election Commission of India (ECI) issued the formal notification for by-elections to three Assembly constituencies in Bihar, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh. Polling for the seats will be held on July 30.
In Bihar, the by-election will be held for the 182-Bankipur Assembly constituency. The scrutiny of nomination papers will take place on July 14, while candidates can withdraw their nominations until July 16. Polling will be held on July 30 from 7 am to 6 pm, and the entire election process will be completed by August 4, 2026.
The Bankipur seat fell vacant after sitting MLA Nitin Nabin resigned from the Assembly following his election to the Rajya Sabha. He stepped down as MLA on March 30 and took oath as a Rajya Sabha member from Bihar on April 16.
The constituency has consistently backed the BJP in recent elections.
In the 2020 Assembly election, Nitin Nabin secured 83,068 votes, or 59.05 per cent of the vote share, defeating Congress candidate Luv Sinha, who polled 44,032 votes.
In the 2015 Assembly election, Nabin had won with 86,759 votes, securing a 60.19 per cent vote share. In the 2025 Assembly election, he retained the seat by defeating RJD candidate Rekha Kumari by a margin of 51,936 votes, further consolidating Bankipur's status as one of the BJP's safest constituencies in Bihar.
On Sunday, Kishor described the Bankipur by-election as an opportunity to establish a "new political order" in Bihar.
"This election is not merely about electing an MLA from Bankipur; it is not about forming or toppling a government. It is an election to establish a new political order in Bihar--to usher in a new kind of politics in the state. It is both significant and challenging. However, I am confident that the most enlightened voters of Bihar will make the right decision and cast their votes in a way that initiates a new political order in the state," he said.
Reacting to Kishor's candidature, Union Minister Giriraj Singh said the "true face" of Jan Suraaj had been exposed.
"They have started hurling abuse at the BJP workers. Their business of falsehoods has come to an end. Their true face has been exposed; that is why their shop has shut down ahead of the general election," he told reporters.
Meanwhile, BJP Bihar president Sanjay Saraogi expressed confidence that the NDA candidate would retain the seat.
"The announcement for the Bankipur by-election has been made. The election there is on July 30. Other parties will also contest the election with their candidates. The people of Bankipur are going to express their gratitude to the top leadership of the BJP in this election. They will ensure victory for the NDA candidate with a massive majority," he said.
The Commission said Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) and Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) machines will be used at all polling stations. It added that adequate arrangements have been made to ensure the smooth conduct of the by-elections.