Patna: Jan Suraaj Party (JSP) founder Prashant Kishor on Monday wrested the Bankipur assembly constituency of Bihar, a BJP bastion which the party had never lost since 1995, in a by-poll that was necessitated after its national president Nitin Nabin vacated the seat.
He defeated his nearest BJP rival Neeraj Kumar by a margin of 19,324 votes.
Kishor, a celebrated poll strategist, created history on his electoral debut when he garnered 64,151 votes, over Kumar, a low-key BJP youth wing leader, who was hurriedly fielded by the party after its candidate Abhishek “Bunty” pulled out at the eleventh hour, citing “family reasons.
The bypoll, held on July 30, recorded a voter turnout of 34.30 per cent, down by more than seven per cent from the 41.45 per cent registered in the last assembly elections.
We shall have no alliance with any political party, says Prashant Kishor after Bankipur bypoll win
Jan Suraaj Party founder Prashant Kishor on Monday ruled out the possibility of joining any political alliance, while claiming that his victory in the Bankipur assembly bypoll was made possible “with the backing of” disgruntled supporters of parties such as the BJP, Congress and the RJD.
Kishor was talking to reporters after defeating the BJP’s Neeraj Kumar by over 19,000 votes in Bankipur which the BJP had been winning since 1995.
“We shall have no alliance. Our alliance shall be with the people of Bihar. You should see that the people of Bankipur have voted for us, giving up on established parties,” said Kishor when he was asked about the possibility of a rethink on his earlier stance of going it alone in elections.
