Jan Suraaj Party founder Prashant Kishor has taken a significant political step, announcing his entry into direct electoral contest for the first time. The party’s state president, Manoj Bharti, officially confirmed that Kishor will contest the bypoll for Bihar’s prestigious Bankipur assembly constituency, scheduled for July 30. The seat has long been a BJP stronghold, and with Kishor now in the fray, the contest has transformed into a closely watched BJP versus Jan Suraaj battle drawing attention across the country.
The Bankipur seat fell vacant after sitting MLA and BJP national president Nitin Nabin was elected to the Rajya Sabha, necessitating the bypoll. The Election Commission of India has released a schedule covering bypolls to three assembly constituencies in total — Bankipur in Bihar, Datia in Madhya Pradesh, and Manjalpur in Gujarat. According to the Commission’s announcement, these elections are being held to fill vacancies arising in each of these seats.
The Datia constituency in Madhya Pradesh fell vacant after sitting MLA Rajendra Bharti was disqualified from his post, while the Manjalpur seat in Gujarat became vacant following the untimely death of MLA Yogeshbhai Naranadas Patel. With all three seats now vacant for different reasons, the Commission has set out a detailed timeline to complete the electoral process.
The gazette notification for the bypolls will be issued on Monday, July 6, officially opening the nomination process. The last date for filing nominations is July 13, followed by scrutiny of nomination papers on July 14. Candidates will have until July 16 to withdraw their nominations. Polling for all three seats — in Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, and Gujarat — will take place on July 30, with vote counting and declaration of results scheduled for Monday, August 3.