Jan Suraaj Party founder Prashant Kishor made a winning electoral debut on Monday, defeating the BJP in the prestigious Bankipur Assembly by-election and ending the saffron party's uninterrupted hold over the constituency since 1995.
Kishor secured 64,151 votes to defeat BJP candidate Neeraj Kumar by 19,324 votes. Kumar polled 44,827 votes, while the RJD's Rekha Gupta finished a distant third with 14,273 votes.
The by-poll was necessitated after BJP national president Nitin Nabin vacated the seat following his election to the Rajya Sabha. Bankipur had remained a BJP bastion for three decades, with Nabin and his late father Navin Chandra Sinha representing the constituency continuously since 1995.
The result is being seen as a significant setback for the BJP, coming days after the nationwide CJP protests. The party had hastily fielded Neeraj Kumar after its original candidate, Abhishek "Bunty", withdrew from the contest citing "family reasons".
Nearly 3.8 lakh voters, including around 2 lakh men and 1.79 lakh women, were eligible to vote in the July 30 by-poll. The constituency recorded a voter turnout of 34.30 per cent, lower than the 41.45 per cent registered in the Assembly elections held nine months ago.
Reacting to his victory, Kishor said, "The victory is a wake-up call for Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who must install a new Chief Minister in place of Samrat Choudhary, a man with criminal antecedents."
The Jan Suraaj founder lashed out at Bihar CM Samrat Choudhary, claiming his impending victory was a strong message to the BJP about the need for better leadership in the State.
Kishor said that while the NDA would continue to remain in power due to its overwhelming majority in the Assembly, the Bankipur result carried a significant political message for the BJP.
"This election is not just about electing an MLA. It is about sending a message to the BJP's top leadership that Bihar deserves a capable CM who can ensure better education and employment opportunities. The people have delivered that message," he asserted.
The victory marks a turnaround for Kishor, whose Jan Suraaj Party had failed to win any seat in the last Assembly elections, which he himself had chosen not to contest.
Entering the by-poll fray, Kishor had described the election as a "referendum" on the BJP-led government in Bihar.
After the results, he said, "On this occasion, besides thanking the common citizens, I would like to thank those who helped Jan Suraaj despite not being in the party."
State BJP president Sanjay Jaiswal accepted the verdict, saying, "We bow down before the will of the people. We shall draw lessons from the debacle, unlike our opponents who tend to blame every electoral loss of theirs on EVMs and the Election Commission."
Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary also congratulated Kishor, saying, "In the grand festival of democracy, the people have chosen Jan Suraaj in the Bankipur Assembly bypoll. I respect the people's verdict and extend my heartfelt congratulations to Prashant Kishor ji on his victory."
Addressing supporters after his win, Kishor reiterated his vision for Bihar, saying, "Bihar cannot be treated as a factory that produces cheap labour. I do not promise that my becoming the MLA will make Bankipur on par with Bengaluru. But, when Gujarat, the home state of Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, is looking forward to having a bullet train, the people of Bihar certainly have a right to expect something better than passenger trains."
The result also drew reactions from leaders across the political spectrum. Janshakti Janata Dal president Tej Pratap Yadav and CPI(ML) Liberation general secretary Dipankar Bhattacharya described the outcome as a setback for the BJP.
RJD spokesperson Chitaranjan Gagan welcomed the outcome, saying, "For us, the defeat of the BJP in its stronghold is of greater importance than who won."
(With inputs from PTI)