Kathmandu— In a significant electoral shift, Prashant Kishor won the Bankipur assembly by-poll on Monday with 64,151 votes, ending the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)'s 30-year dominance in the constituency. The victory marks Kishor's first electoral success since founding the Jan Suraaj Party and comes nine months after his party failed to secure any seats in the 2025 Bihar Assembly elections.

A Decisive Blow to BJP

The by-poll victory is a major setback for the BJP, which had held Bankipur since 1995. The constituency was considered a political fiefdom of the Sinha family, with Navin Kishore Prasad Sinha and his son Nitin Nabin representing it consecutively over five terms. Nitin Nabin's move to the Rajya Sabha triggered this by-poll. In 2025, Nabin won Bankipur by a margin of over 50,000 votes, making Kishor’s victory particularly significant.

Kishor framed his win as a message from Bihar voters to the BJP's central leadership about their desire for better governance. "It was an attempt by the people of Bihar to send a message to the BJP's central leadership that they should appoint a good person as the Chief Minister of Bihar," he told reporters.

Validation for Jan Suraaj

Kishor’s victory in Bankipur marks a significant milestone for his political movement, which aims to address grassroots issues such as education and employment. The win establishes Jan Suraaj as a formidable force against both the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and the Mahagathbandhan alliance.

Celebrations erupted across Patna as Kishor’s supporters celebrated what they see as a validation of their movement's principles and goals.

(With inputs from ANI)

Originally published on abcnews.com.np.