Bankipur bypoll results: Prashant Kishor defeats BJP candidate by 18,953 votes
Prashant Kishor leads in Bihar's Bankipur bypoll counting, challenging BJP's Neeraj Kumar amid a 34.30% voter turnout.
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RJD candidate Rekha Kumari stands third with 14,085 votes.
Updated - August 03, 2026 05:57 pm IST - Patna
Jan Suraaj Party chief Prashant Kishor celebrates with supporters after taking the lead in the Bankipur Assembly by-election during the counting of votes, in Patna, Monday, August 3, 2026. | Photo Credit: PTI
Jan Suraaj Party (JSP) founder Prashant Kishor defeated BJP candidate Neeraj Kumar Sinha by a margin of 18,953 votes in the Bankipur Assembly by-election on Monday (August 3, 2026). Mr. Kishor got 63,203 votes, whereas Mr. Sinha got 44,250 votes. RJD candidate Rekha Kumari came third with 14,085 votes.
Celebrations broke out at the Jan Suraaj Party headquarters and outside the counting centre at A.N. College here, with supporters dancing to the tunes of local songs and distributing sweets.
Prashant Kishor: From election backrooms to Bihar Assembly
“The Bharatiya Janata Party humbly accepts the mandate of the Bankipur by-election and respects the people’s decision. In a democratic process, the verdict of the people is above everything!” Bihar BJP State President Sanjay Saraogi said in a statement. “Unlike Opposition parties, we do not blame constitutional institutions, EVMs, or the Election Commission for our defeat. The Bharatiya Janata Party has complete faith in democracy and constitutional systems, and believes in addressing its shortcomings through introspection and review.”
Read updates from the vote counting for Manjalpur Assembly bypoll in Gujarat
The by-election was necessitated following the resignation of BJP national president Nitin Nabin, who gave up the seat in April upon election to the Rajya Sabha.
The bypoll, held on July 30, recorded a voter turnout of 34.30%, down by more than 7% from the 41.45% registered in the last Assembly elections.
A total of 26 candidates are in the fray this time.
Mr. Nabin had won the Assembly seat for the fifth consecutive time in November 2025, defeating nearest rival Rekha Gupta of the RJD by over 50,000 votes.
The RJD again nominated Ms. Gupta for the by-election.
Prashant Kishor, a former poll strategist who launched the Jan Suraaj Party a few years ago, is contesting his first election, while the BJP, which has never lost the Assembly segment since 1995 when it was known as Patna West, has fielded low-key youth wing leader Neeraj Kumar Sinha.
Published - August 03, 2026 08:28 am IST
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