Jan Suraj Party founder Prashant Kishor has entered the BJP’s heartland and won the Bankipur by-election by a huge margin. Not only did Kishor deal a blow to the saffron party by defeating the BJP, but he also marked the first time in 30 years that the BJP has lost here. He defeated BJP candidate Neeraj Kumar by a margin of 19,324 votes. This has been a traditional BJP seat, where BJP National President Nitin Naveen himself has served as an MLA five times.
Prashant Kishor halted the BJP’s victory by garnering a total of 64,151 votes. Meanwhile, BJP candidate Neeraj Kumar managed just 44,827 votes. Bihar’s main opposition party, the RJD, slipped to third place, with its candidate garnering 14,085 votes. This victory for Prashant Kishor is no ordinary one; it’s a breath of fresh air for him.
suffered a crushing defeat in the Assembly
Prashant Kishore’s party, Jan Suraj, suffered a crushing defeat in the Bihar Assembly elections held nine months ago. The party fielded candidates in 238 seats, but lost its security deposit in 236. Although Jan Suraj won zero seats in its first assembly election, it secured 3.34 percent of the vote.
PK remained steadfast in the political arena
Despite the humiliating defeat in the assembly elections, Prashant Kishore remained firmly entrenched in Bihar’s political arena. He sent a message to the people of the state that even though he had lost the election, he would not leave Bihar. With his courage and hope, he remained on every front in Bihar.
Now the real innings will begin
This victory marks the beginning of Prashant Kishor’s real innings. His victory could prove to be a turning point in Bihar politics. While he has previously helped leaders across the country become Prime Ministers and Chief Ministers, he now hopes to see himself occupy the seat of Chief Minister of Bihar.
What will change with Prashant Kishore’s victory?
Prashant Kishor’s victory will mark a major shift in Bihar politics. After Narendra Modi became Prime Minister, Prashant sided with Nitish Kumar. In 2015, he orchestrated Nitish’s return to power in Bihar. He subsequently worked for Mamata Banerjee, Jagan Mohan Reddy, and MK Stalin, playing a key role in their victories. The strategy and media management he used to perform for others will now be his own. Prashant Kishor’s own experience will prove useful.
Prashant Kishore has emerged as a strong voice among the traditional leaders in Bihar. He distances himself from Bihar’s caste politics and advocates for employment, education, and development. He is a new face, so now that he has become an MLA, people will listen to whatever he says.
The situation will also change in the assembly.
The Bihar Assembly currently has two prominent figures: Chief Minister Samrat Chaudhary and Leader of the Opposition Tejashwi Yadav. Whenever these two speak, it generates media headlines. However, with Prashant Kishor’s entry into the Assembly, the contest will become a three-way contest, as his speech also generates media headlines. In such a scenario, Prashant, who has never been part of any government, could simultaneously take on the BJP, JDU, and RJD.
This victory will act as a breath of fresh air for Prashant Kishor. He has secured the platform every leader longs for. The more headlines he garners while speaking in the Assembly, the more he will pose a threat to the BJP and Tejashwi Yadav. Taking advantage of his MLA status, Prashant Kishor can establish himself by creating an atmosphere against his rival parties. Bihar is now an open field for him, posing a challenge to the BJP, JDU, and RJD.