Kathmandu— In a significant political shift, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) lost the Bankipur Assembly bypoll to the newly formed Jan Suraaj Party, led by Prashant Kishor. The defeat reflects voter dissatisfaction with Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary's leadership and conduct, despite the BJP maintaining a majority in the state assembly.

Kishor's Victory Signals Leadership Change

Prashant Kishor, founder of Jan Suraaj Party, secured his maiden electoral victory by a margin of 19,324 votes. Speaking to ANI, he emphasized that the result is a message for the BJP and National Democratic Alliance (NDA) leadership to appoint a more capable chief minister who can focus on education, employment, and migration issues rather than divisive rhetoric.

BJP's Leadership Criticized

Kishor accused the BJP of installing a leader in Bihar who represents 'Jungle Raj' politics, which they had campaigned against. He argued that voters rejected Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary over his conduct and character, despite no significant local issues changing since the last election.

NDA's Continued Majority

While acknowledging the BJP's continued majority in the Bihar Assembly with 202 seats, Kishor emphasized that a change in leadership within the NDA is necessary to address public dissatisfaction. He urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi and party president Amit Shah to pay attention to Bihar’s needs.

The Bankipur bypoll result highlights growing discontent among voters with BJP's current leadership, signaling potential challenges for the ruling party in its traditional strongholds.

(With inputs from ANI)

Originally published on abcnews.com.np.