New Delhi: Jan Suraaj Party (JSP) founder and political strategist-turned-politician Prashant Kishor will contest the upcoming Bankipur bypoll, a seat vacated by BJP national president Nitin Nabin.
An announcement was made Sunday by party president Manoj Bharti. There will now be a direct contest between JSP and the BJP.
“I will contest Bankipur bypoll,” said Jan Suraaj’s Prashant Kishor. “We are not just fighting the Assembly elections; we are beginning a new kind of politics in Bihar,” he added.
Later speaking to the media he said, “…we view this as the beginning of a new kind of politics in Bihar… It is not anyone’s stronghold; it is the stronghold of the people of Bihar… Things will certainly change… People should vote for the best candidate, the one who represents the start of this new politics…”
He added: “We are not merely fighting for assembly seats, but for initiating a new political movement. As we contest the election, the voters of Bihar face the responsibility of ushering in a fresh beginning for the state… We are contesting alone (without a coalition with any other party). However, I welcome support from anyone who feels they should help…”
Kishor expressed his gratitude to his party colleagues, leaders and workers who he said had placed this responsibility and trust on his shoulders.
“I assure them that for the past four years, Jan Suraaj has been my life, and for the next ten years, until the vision of change in Bihar is achieved, I have no other purpose. I consider the responsibility of contesting the Bankipur by-election as a step towards that goal,” Kishor said.
Kishor targeted the Modi government and Chief Minister of Bihar Samrat Choudhary in his press conference.
“There is no faith in Samrat Choudhary’s conduct, character, or public image. The public had elected Nitish Kumar; Samrat Choudhary became chief minister through the back door. We have been saying this for long and now the burden is on the public to elect JSP and give their referendum,” he said.
“Whether it is about contesting PM Modi’s boss’ seat (Nitin Nabin) or a seat where elections will be held after Samrat Chaudhary became the CM… what JSP could not do in Bihar elections, the people Bankipur will be able to do this time round,” he added.
Kishor further said thousands and millions of people were connected with the ideas and efforts of Jan Suraaj in November 2025.
However, post the results, many he said were disappointed or discouraged.
“Most of them believe that if Jan Suraaj wins the Bankipur by-election, it will not only strengthen the movement but also help revive the vision of change in Bihar. I accept this responsibility with humility and thank all my colleagues, workers, and leaders,” he added.
The Bankipur Assembly seat fell vacant after Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) national president Nitin Nabin resigned as MLA following his election to Rajya Sabha in April 2026. The bypoll will be held on 30 July.
“If you send one representative of Jan Suraaj by electing them, we will weigh heavily on the 242 MLAs and represent the people by carrying the burden of the people’s expectations upon us,” he said, stressing the symbolic significance of the bypoll.
Kishor launched his Jan Suraaj Party on 2 October 2024 after a two-year pan-Bihar march—called the Jan Suraaj Padyatra. He launched the march after exiting a career in political consulting in 2021, and covered thousands of villages across the state.
In the assembly elections last year, Kishor’s party fielded candidates in 238 of the 243 seats, but he himself did not contest. The party drew a blank, getting just 3.4 percent vote share.
The Bankipur seat, considered high-profile, is a BJP stronghold. It was earlier known as the Patna West assembly constituency and Nabin’s father, senior BJP leader Kishore Prasad Sinha, won it multiple times from 1995 until his demise in 2006.
Nabin entered electoral politics after his father’s demise, first winning the seat in a 2006 by-election.
In the assembly polls last year, Nabin had won the seat for a fifth consecutive term, defeating RJD candidate by a margin of nearly 50,000.
More than 25 percent voters in Bankipur belong to Nabin’s Kayastha community. The constituency also has a sizable upper-caste mix of Bhumihars and Rajputs, apart from Yadavs and Kurmis.
Kishor had skipped contesting the Assembly elections last year to focus on building the party. He later admitted it may have been a “mistake”.
The BJP is yet to formally announce a candidate for this seat. Polling for the Bankipur assembly by-election will be held on 30 July, and votes will be counted on 3 August.