Patna, Aug 3 — Following Prashant Kishor’s victory in the Bankipur Assembly by-election, celebrations erupted among Jan Suraaj supporters, while political leaders across Bihar reacted to the outcome.
Prashant Kishor’s wife, Dr Jahnavi Das, expressed her happiness over the victory and praised his efforts during the campaign.
“I am very happy today. Prashant Kishor worked extremely hard in Bankipur. I extend my congratulations to the people of Bankipur and will remain forever grateful to them,” she told IANS.
Prashant Kishor defeated BJP candidate Neeraj Kumar Sinha by a margin of 18,963 votes, breaking the BJP’s long-standing dominance over the constituency.
According to the Election Commission, after the completion of all 31 rounds of counting, Prashant Kishor secured 63,203 votes, while BJP's Neeraj Kumar polled 44,250 votes.
RJD candidate Rekha Kumari Gupta finished a distant third with 14,085 votes.
As Kishor maintained his lead through successive rounds of counting, celebrations began at the Jan Suraaj office.
Party leaders and supporters were seen dancing, exchanging sweets and celebrating the victory.
Reacting to his victory, Prashant Kishor said the people of Bankipur had sent a clear message to the BJP leadership.
According to Kishor, after giving the BJP a majority, the people now want capable leadership that can focus on education, employment and good governance.
He said the central objective of his political campaign is to create employment opportunities in Bihar so that young people do not have to migrate to other states in search of jobs.
RJD leader Rohini Acharya also reacted to the Bankipur result in a post on X.
She said the by-election had demonstrated the importance of sustained political engagement, maintaining contact with voters and respecting party workers and supporters.
She described the result as a rejection of the BJP and a victory for people's faith in democracy.
She also congratulated Prashant Kishor and wished him a successful tenure dedicated to the people.
RJD MP Misa Bharti, however, offered a sharply different assessment of the result.
Reacting to Kishor's victory, she said that although the BJP candidate had technically lost, the outcome could effectively be viewed as a victory for the BJP.
Bharti questioned the decision to change candidates in the constituency and criticised what she described as the large number of promises made by Kishor during the campaign.
She argued that many of these promises would be extremely difficult for any MLA or MP to fulfil.
Referring to Bankipur's traditional association with the BJP, Bharti also alleged that the constituency had not witnessed adequate development over several decades.
She questioned Kishor's claims regarding education and other development initiatives and alleged that he was effectively the BJP's real candidate.
Bharti said it could take time for voters to understand the political implications of the result, but claimed that the reality would become clearer after Kishor begins his tenure.
The contrasting reactions from RJD leaders underline the political significance of Prashant Kishor's victory in a constituency that has traditionally been considered a BJP stronghold.
The result is likely to fuel further debate over the changing political equations in Bihar and the emerging role of Jan Suraaj.