In the Bankipur Assembly by-election, Jan Suraaj Party founder Prashant Kishor is leading BJP's Neeraj Kumar Sinha by 1,162 votes after the third round of counting. Kishor has secured 5,032 votes against Sinha's 3,870 in the BJP bastion.

Kishor Extends Lead in Early Counting

Jan Suraaj Party founder Prashant Kishor has extended his lead over Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate Neeraj Kumar Sinha after the third round of counting in the Bankipur Assembly by-election here on Monday.

As per the latest official figures released by the Election Commission after Round 3 of the 31 scheduled rounds of counting, Prashant Kishor is leading with 5,032 votes, while BJP's Neeraj Kumar Sinha has secured 3,870 votes. Kishor is ahead by a margin of 1,162 votes. Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) candidate Rekha Kumari is currently in third place with 767 votes, trailing by 3,131 votes.

Kishor's First Electoral Contest in BJP Stronghold

The bypoll, held on July 30, marks the first direct electoral contest of election strategist-turned-politician Prashant Kishor. The Bankipur Assembly seat, considered a traditional BJP stronghold, fell vacant after former MLA and BJP leader Nitin Nabin was elected to the Rajya Sabha earlier this year. Vote counting is underway at the designated counting centre in Patna amid tight multi-tier security arrangements. A total of 31 rounds of counting are scheduled, with 28 rounds remaining after the completion of the second round. The final result will be declared after the completion of all rounds of counting.

'Vote Beyond Caste and Religion': Kishor's Message

Earlier, Prashant Kishor said he was not looking for a "safe seat" and had deliberately chosen to contest from Bankipur, a long-standing BJP bastion, to send a message that Bihar's voters should move beyond caste and religion while exercising their franchise. He had also urged people to stop voting out of fear for either Lalu Prasad Yadav or the BJP.

Speaking to ANI, Kishor said he had consciously avoided contesting from a politically safe constituency. Bankipur, which falls under the Patna Sahib Lok Sabha constituency, has long been considered a BJP stronghold. The seat has been represented by the BJP's incumbent National President Nitin Nabin since 2010 and, before him, by his father, Nabin Kishore Prasad Sinha, making it one of the party's most established urban bastions in Bihar. "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 Bihar is to change, they must vote beyond caste and religion. They must stop voting out of fear of Lalu for BJP, or fear of BJP for Lalu. To prove the point I am explaining to the people of Bihar, I am contesting from a place where votes should not be sought in the name of caste or religion..." Kishor had told ANI.

The Bankipur Assembly bypoll, considered a key political contest in Bihar, was necessitated after BJP leader Nitin Nabin vacated the seat following his election to the Rajya Sabha. (ANI)

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