Patna: After its humiliating performance in the 2025 Bihar assembly election, former poll strategist Prashant Kishor-led Jan Suraaj Party (JSP) spots an opportunity in the by-election to Bankipur assembly constituency to revive its electoral fortunes as there is intense speculation that Kishor himself will contest from the seat.
The by-election to Bankipur constituency was necessitated after the incumbent MLA Nitin Nabin vacated the seat following his appointment as BJP`s national president and his election to Rajya Sabha.
Kishor has already announced his party`s willingness to contest and wrest the seat from BJP, calling it a referendum on chief minister Samrat Choudhary-led NDA government. JSP will announce its candidate on July 5. It will not be easy for Kishor to wrest the seat from BJP as it has been the party`s bastion for four decades. In the last assembly election, BJP candidate Nabin retained the seat by defeating the RJD candidate, while the JSP nominee finished in third place.
Notification for the by-election will be issued on July 6, while the last date for filing nominations is July 13. Votes will be cast on July 30 while result will declared on August 3.
Bankipur has been a BJP bastion for more than four decades, with the party winning the seat consecutively. Among the names being discussed, Neel Ratan Ghosh is considered a leading contender. A senior BJP worker who has been active in the party for many years, Ghosh is regarded as being close to Nitin Nabin. Another prominent name is Ajay Alok. A doctor by profession, Alok has been active in politics for many years. Ashish Sinha is another name under consideration. He is the son of former Kumharar MLA and senior BJP leader Arun Kumar Sinha, who represented the constituency several times. However, Arun Sinha was denied a ticket by the BJP in the 2025 Assembly election.
RJD does not have a formidable presence in the Bankipur constituency. Political analysts consider that if Kishor contests the election, the primary battle will be between the BJP and Jan Suraaj
Meanwhile, Tej Pratap Yadav's Janshakti Janata Dal has announced its candidate for the seat. The party has fielded social activist Meena Manvi from the Bankipur Assembly constituency.
