'I Am Not Looking for a Safe Seat': Prashant Kishor Confirms Electoral Debut From Bankipur Assembly By-Election (Watch Video)
In a major political development, Jan Suraaj Party founder and former election strategist Prashant Kishor is set to make his electoral debut. The party’s core committee announced on Sunday that Kishor will contest the upcoming by-election for Patna’s high-profile Bankipur Assembly constituency.
In a major political development, Jan Suraaj Party founder and former election strategist Prashant Kishor is set to make his electoral debut. The party’s core committee announced on Sunday that Kishor will contest the upcoming by-election for Patna’s high-profile Bankipur Assembly constituency. The Bankipur seat fell vacant after veteran leader Nitin Nabin was elected to the Rajya Sabha and appointed as the national president of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The by-election is scheduled to take place on July 30, with the counting of votes slated for August 3. Prashant Kishor To Make Electoral Debut in Bihar, To Contest Bankipur By-Elections From BJP Stronghold (Watch Video).
Addressing his candidature, Kishor stated that his decision to contest from Bankipur is a conscious move away from conventional political strategy, where leaders typically seek "safe seats." He emphasized that his campaign aims to challenge traditional voting patterns heavily influenced by caste and religious dynamics in Bihar. "I am doing the opposite because I am telling the people of Bihar that if Bihar is to change, they must vote beyond caste and religion," Kishor said. He urged voters to move past defensive voting, where they support either the BJP or the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) purely out of fear of the opposing faction. Assembly By-Elections 2026: ECI Announces Bihar, Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat Poll Schedule; Voting July 30, Counting August 3.
'I Am Not Looking for a Safe Seat'
#WATCH Patna, Bihar: On his candidature for the Bankipur by-election, founder of Jan Suraaj, Prashant Kishor, says, "... When people start their electoral politics, they look for safe seats for themselves... I am doing the opposite because I am telling the people of Bihar that if… pic.twitter.com/xyKFPT9crd
— ANI (@ANI) July 6, 2026
The Bankipur constituency has long been considered an urban fortress for the BJP, having been held by Nitin Nabin and his family for decades. In the 2025 Bihar Assembly elections, Jan Suraaj made its organizational debut across the state but failed to win any seats, finishing a distant third in Bankipur. Kishor has framed the upcoming by-poll as a direct referendum on the performance of the current NDA state government led by Samrat Choudhary. Political analysts view the election as a crucial litmus test for the long-term viability of the Jan Suraaj Party following its setbacks in the general assembly elections last year.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jul 06, 2026 01:11 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).
