Patna: Prashant Kishor of the Jan Suraaj Party has further strengthened his position in the Bankipur Assembly by-election after 12 rounds of vote counting.
Contesting on the ‘School Bag’ symbol, Kishor has secured 23,756 votes and is leading by 6,646 votes over his nearest rival.
BJP candidate Neeraj Kumar Sinha is currently in second place with 17,110 votes, while RJD’s Rekha Gupta remains third with 4,850 votes.
The widening gap has intensified the political contest in Bankipur, traditionally considered a stronghold of the BJP.
Kishor’s sustained lead has triggered considerable discussion in political circles, with the Jan Suraaj candidate emerging as a strong challenger in his first Assembly election.
The Bankipur by-election was necessitated by the resignation of BJP leader Nitin Nabin, who vacated the seat after becoming the BJP’s national president and Rajya Sabha member.
The constituency recorded a voter turnout of 34.30 per cent on July 30.
A total of 25 candidates are contesting the by-election, with approximately 1.30 lakh votes being counted.
The main contest, however, has effectively emerged between Prashant Kishor, BJP’s Neeraj Sinha and RJD’s Rekha Gupta.
The BJP’s traditional strength in Bankipur makes Kishor’s current lead particularly significant.
A defeat for the BJP would represent a major political setback, while a victory for Kishor would provide a substantial boost to the Jan Suraaj Party and its political ambitions in Bihar.
Bihar Assembly Speaker and senior BJP leader Dr Prem Kumar played down the significance of the current trends, saying that fluctuations are common during the counting process.
He expressed confidence that the final picture would become clearer after 3 p.m.
Meanwhile, JD(U) national spokesperson Rajiv Ranjan expressed confidence in an NDA victory, claiming that Neeraj Sinha would win by a historic margin.
He said the NDA benefits whenever elections are fought on the basis of development.
The BJP has also reportedly prepared around two quintals of laddoos for celebrations, reflecting the party’s confidence despite its candidate currently trailing.
Counting has been underway at AN College in Patna since 8 a.m. Votes from 422 polling stations are being counted in 30 rounds across 14 tables.
Security arrangements around the counting centre remain stringent. More than 300 security personnel have been deployed, while drone surveillance is being used to monitor the area within a 300-metre radius.
Traffic restrictions have also been imposed on several roads surrounding the AN College. General vehicles have been restricted on routes including Boring Road Crossing to AN College, Mohini Mor to Sahdev Mahto Marg and Pani Tanki Mor to AN College.
Separate routes and parking arrangements have been made for candidates, polling agents and media vehicles.
With 12 rounds completed, Prashant Kishor has established a substantial lead, but the final result will depend on the remaining rounds of counting.
All eyes are now on whether the Jan Suraaj candidate can convert his early advantage into a historic electoral victory in the BJP’s traditional stronghold.
(IANS)
