- By Chetna Shree
- Sun, 24 May 2026 05:27 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
- Jan Suraaj Party to contest Bankipur assembly bypoll.
- Bypoll seen as referendum on Bihar NDA government.
- Bankipur seat vacated by BJP's Nitin Nabin.
Bihar: Jan Suraaj Party founder Prashant Kishor on Saturday announced that his political outfit will contest the bypoll for the assembly seat recently vacated by BJP National President Nitin Nabin following his election to the Rajya Sabha.
Kishor, whose party failed to secure a single seat in the 2025 Bihar elections, appeared confident of besting the BJP in the Bankipur assembly bypoll. He claimed the bypoll would serve as a 'referendum on the first year of the ruling NDA government' following its assembly election victory.
"The Jan Suraaj Party has decided, in principle, to contest the bypoll to the Bankipur seat. It will be held by the time the NDA has completed seven to eight months in power. So, the bypoll would be a referendum on the first year of the government," news agency PTI quoted Kishor as saying.
Bankipur: A Decades-Old BJP Stronghold
Bankipur has been a BJP stronghold for decades. Nitin Nabin made his political debut from the seat in 2026 in a bypoll following the death of his father, Nabin Kishor Prasad Sinha.
Since then, Nabin has firmly held the constituency, retaining it for a fifth consecutive term in the assembly polls held in November last year.
Nabin, who became the BJP National President in January this year, defeated RJD's Rekha Kumari by a margin of 50,000 votes. The Jan Suraaj Party candidate, Vandana Kumari, came third with only 7,000 votes.
Last month, Nabin vacated the seat following his election to the Rajya Sabha, necessitating a bypoll within six months.
Despite the party's performance, Kishor said, "Only the Jan Suraaj Party can defeat the BJP in Bankipur. The RJD and the Congress have been losing the seat by massive margins. Our party believes we just need to field a strong candidate".
However, the former political strategist declined to reveal whether he would contest the seat himself, stating that the final decision rests with the party.
He further stated, "I did not contest the assembly polls because the party felt I should concentrate on organisational work. I shall continue to abide by the party’s collective decision."