PATNA: In an intense political contest, Jan Suraaj Party founder Prashant Kishor has taken an early lead in the Bankipur Assembly by-election. Counting began at 8am at AN College in Patna under tight security.In the initial round of counting, Kishor secured 2,225 votes, establishing a lead of 862 votes over his nearest rival, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate Neeraj Kumar Sinha, who has got 1,363 votes so far. Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) candidate Rekha Gupta currently stands in third place with 505 votes.The high-stakes by-poll was necessitated after the seat fell vacant following the elevation of senior BJP leader Nitin Nabin to the Rajya Sabha, shortly after he assumed the role of BJP National President. Nabin had previously held the constituency with a dominant margin, making Bankipur a traditional stronghold for the BJP.This election serves as a crucial test for poll strategist-turned-politician Prashant Kishor. Having spent over two years conducting extensive foot marches across Bihar to build a grass-roots network, this by-election marks Kishor’s formal electoral debut. A strong performance here could significantly reshape Bihar’s political landscape ahead of upcoming state elections.Local election officials reported that vote counting is progressing smoothly across multiple rounds, with final results expected later in the afternoon. All eyes remain fixed on whether the newly formed outfit can pull off a major upset against established political heavyweights as it has been in BJP’s kitty for more than three decades.
