Bihar Politics: The results of the by-election for the highly contested Bankipur assembly seat in Bihar will be declared on August 3rd. As the counting date approaches, the political atmosphere in the capital, Patna, has suddenly heated up. Just a day before the vote count, Prashant Kishore, founder of the Jan Suraj Party, has directly attacked the state’s NDA government and Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Chaudhary.
Prashant Kishore has raised serious questions about the role of the administration throughout the election. He said that during his twenty-year tenure in Bihar, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar never misused the administrative machinery to win an election. However, the misuse of the police and administration in this by-election is extremely worrying. PK claimed that when the Jan Suraj Party’s victory is announced after the counting of votes on August 3rd, the path for Samrat Chaudhary’s departure will be completely cleared.
Questions raised on police action
Prashant Kishore has strongly objected to the police action that took place on and before the polling day in Bankipur. He alleged that the Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) of Patna acted at the behest of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). He stated that the police deliberately targeted and attempted to intimidate local Jan Suraj leaders and activists.
According to Prashant Kishore, the ruling party fears defeat and therefore used the police department as a political tool. He demanded that the Election Commission take cognizance of the matter and take the strictest possible action against the guilty police officers, including the Patna SSP. Prashant Kishore stated that in a democratic system, the police should act impartially and not act as agents of any political party.
Allegations of Detention of Polling Agents, Drama Continues Throughout the Night
Political activity remained high in the Bankipur Assembly constituency even on polling day. Prashant Kishore alleged that the police detained his supporters and polling agents without any valid reason on the day of voting. He stated that from Tuesday evening until late at night, more than 20 prominent Jan Suraj leaders and activists were harassed by the police. The most serious issue was that the police neither formally recorded any arrests nor disclosed the law under which they were arrested.
According to Prashant Kishore, the detained leaders were first taken to various police stations in the city. They were then taken to Danapur, and when the media and party workers became aware of this, the police shifted them to Shahpur police station. During this period, Prashant Kishore was also seen engaging in a heated exchange with City Superintendent of Police (Central) Mamta Kalyani near Golghar.
A Step Against Democracy, Local Leaders Taken from Homes
Prashant Kishore termed this police action as completely illegal and against democratic values. He categorically stated that if any activist or leader had violated the law, a proper case should have been filed against them. However, detaining people in the dark of night without any clear charges undermines the democratic process.
Prashant Kishore claimed that at least ten of the leaders arrested by the police are permanent residents of Patna. They were forcibly picked up from their homes at night to avoid election activities on polling day and prevent them from mobilizing voters for Jan Suraj. He said that the state government and the BJP together tried their best to stop Jan Suraj, but the public has thwarted all their plans.
Only 34% Voter Turnout, Who Will Win?
It is noteworthy that voting for the by-election in the Bankipur assembly seat concluded on Thursday. A total of 34.30% voter turnout was recorded, significantly lower than in the last general election. The seat fell vacant after senior BJP leader Nitin Naveen resigned. This three-cornered contest is expected to be a direct contest between Bharatiya Janata Party candidate Neeraj Kumar Sinha, Jan Suraj Party founder Prashant Kishore, and Congress-backed Rashtriya Janata Dal candidate Rekha Gupta. The low voter turnout has raised the concerns of all political parties. All eyes are now on the counting of votes, which begins on the morning of August 3rd. Tomorrow it will become clear whether the people of Bankipur have expressed confidence in Prashant Kishore’s claims or BJP has been successful in saving its old stronghold.