The upcoming Bankipur by-election in Patna is slowly emerging as one of the most closely watched political contests in Bihar. The reason is not just the importance of the seat, but also the aggressive way in which Prashant Kishor and his party Jan Suraaj are preparing for the battle.
After failing to perform well in the Bihar Assembly elections, Prashant Kishor is now looking at the Bankipur bypoll as an opportunity to revive his political relevance in the state.
Political observers believe the election is not just about one Assembly seat, but also about the future credibility of Jan Suraaj as a political force in Bihar.
Prashant Kishor was once known as one of India’s most successful election strategists. He played key roles in campaigns led by Narendra Modi, Nitish Kumar, Mamata Banerjee and Arvind Kejriwal.
However, when he entered active politics in Bihar through Jan Suraaj, the results did not match expectations.
Despite a long padyatra and repeated promises of alternative politics, Jan Suraaj failed to win a single seat in the Bihar elections.
After the defeat, opposition parties and political critics started questioning whether political strategy and media narrative alone are enough to succeed in Bihar’s deeply caste-driven political environment.
This is why the Bankipur by-election has become extremely important for Prashant Kishor.
Bankipur is considered a high-profile urban constituency in Patna. The seat has numerous educated voters, middle-class families, students and government employees.
It is also seen as a traditional BJP stronghold. Because of this, even a strong performance by Jan Suraaj could help Prashant Kishor rebuild his political image.
Political observers say Prashant Kishor also appears to be changing his strategy after the Assembly election setback. Earlier, his focus was on expanding across Bihar and building a statewide political movement.
Now, he seems to be concentrating more on selected high-visibility political battles where media attention and symbolic impact are much bigger.
Bankipur also carries symbolic importance because it was represented by BJP leader Nitin Nabin before he moved to national politics and vacated the seat.
Another important factor is that Prashant Kishor appears to be targeting urban and young voters who are frustrated with caste politics, unemployment and migration. His speeches continue to focus on jobs, education, governance and migration instead of traditional caste equations.
However, the biggest challenge for Prashant Kishor remains the same. Bihar politics is still heavily influenced by caste identity and booth-level organisation.
Bankipur is considered a Kayastha-dominated seat and BJP has held the constituency for several decades. Because of this, development and governance issues alone may not be enough for Jan Suraaj to win the seat.
At the same time, supporters of Prashant Kishor argue that he has already succeeded in changing Bihar’s political conversation. According to them, issues like jobs, migration and education are now being discussed more seriously because of the pressure created by Jan Suraaj.
The Bankipur by-election will now test whether this narrative can actually translate into votes.
If Jan Suraaj performs strongly, Prashant Kishor may project it as proof that his politics still has support among urban and aspirational voters.
But if the performance remains weak, questions over the future of Jan Suraaj and Prashant Kishor’s political experiment are likely to become even stronger.
For this reason, the Bankipur by-election is no longer being seen as just another bypoll. It is increasingly being viewed as a political test for Prashant Kishor’s future in Bihar politics.
This is the reason why Prashant Kishor has also dubbed Bankipur elections as a referendum on the incumbent government.
– Ends
Published By:
Sayan Ganguly
Published On:
Jun 10, 2026 07:20 IST
