Prashant Kishor, one of India’s best-known political strategists, has won his first election and is set to enter the Bihar Legislative Assembly after securing victory in the Bankipur by-election.
Kishor, founder of the Jan Suraaj Party, defeated the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)’s Neeraj Kumar in the prestigious constituency, ending the BJP’s three-decade hold on the seat. Bankipur had remained with the BJP since 1995, previously represented for five consecutive terms by Nitin Nabin before he vacated the seat after being elected to India’s upper house of Parliament.
The 49-year-old’s victory marks a significant turnaround after his newly formed party failed to win a single seat in the 2025 Bihar Assembly election.
During the campaign, Kishor focused heavily on youth unemployment, migration and governance, while positioning the by-election as a direct contest between himself and Bihar Chief Minister Samrat Chaudhary. His campaign resonated particularly with younger voters in Bankipur, which has a large student population and numerous colleges and coaching centres.
Before entering active politics, Kishor was regarded as one of India’s most influential election strategists. He played a key role in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s 2014 general election campaign before later working with several opposition parties, including helping Mamata Banerjee defeat the BJP in the 2021 West Bengal Assembly election.
Kishor launched the Jan Suraaj Party in 2024 after completing a statewide foot march across Bihar, focusing on issues such as unemployment, migration, education and governance.
According to the BBC, his victory has revived debate over whether Jan Suraaj can emerge as a significant political force in Bihar ahead of future elections, although analysts caution that it is too early to draw wider conclusions from a single by-election. (Newswire)