Shillong: Prashant Kishor secured a massive victory in the Bankipur assembly by-election today. He defeated BJP candidate Neeraj Kumar Sinha by a margin of 18,963 votes. The Election Commission confirmed the results after 31 grueling rounds of counting. Kishor pulled in 63,203 votes while Sinha trailed with 44,250. RJD candidate Rekha Kumari Gupta finished a distant third with 14,085 votes. This marks the first major electoral win for the fledgling Jan Suraaj party.
Celebrations broke out at the Jan Suraaj office as the lead became insurmountable. Supporters danced and shared sweets. Dr. Jahnavi Das, Kishor's wife, praised the result. "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 said. Kishor claimed the result shows voters want a focus on education, jobs, and governance to stop youth migration.
The victory rattles the Bihar political establishment. RJD leader Rohini Acharya praised Kishor, calling the result a rejection of the BJP and a win for democratic faith. However, RJD MP Misa Bharti dismissed the shift. She accused Kishor of making impossible promises and alleged he functioned as a secret ally for the BJP. Bharti also criticized the lack of development in Bankipur despite the area being a historical BJP stronghold.
BJP leadership offered a measured response to the loss. Bihar minister Vijay Kumar Sinha said the party respects the mandate and will not blame EVMs. He noted the BJP maintains broad support, citing the 202 seats the NDA won in the 2025 assembly elections. Bihar BJP President Sanjay Saraogi confirmed the party will conduct an organizational review. They plan to dissect the loss and address voter concerns. Kishor will now prepare to enter the assembly as the new MLA from Bankipur.
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