Debutant politician Prashant Kishor of the Jan Suraaj Party holds a slight lead over his BJP rival Neeraj Kumar in the early count of votes from the Bankipur Assembly bypoll in Bihar. The counting process started at 8 a.m. on August 3, 2026, in Patna, with all eyes on whether Kishor can secure the seat for his new party.
The bypoll was held after BJP’s Nitin Nabin resigned from the Assembly following his election to the Rajya Sabha in April. Nabin had won the seat consecutively since 1995 under its previous name, Patna West. His former opponent Rekha Gupta of the RJD is contesting again for the bypoll.
Kishor, a political strategist making his electoral debut, is challenging the BJP’s strongholds in the region. The party has fielded Neeraj Kumar Sinha, a lesser-known youth leader, to defend the seat. The bypoll saw a voter turnout of 34.30%, down from 41.45% in the last Assembly elections.
A total of 26 candidates contested the bypoll, which was conducted on July 30. Security arrangements were tightened for the counting process, with officials ensuring a smooth and secure tallying of votes.