The Bankipura Assembly by-election has highlighted a clear shift in voting behaviour, with many Muslim voters choosing Jan Suraaj Party (JSP) founder Prashant Kishor over the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD). Conversations with voters suggest that the decision was driven less by traditional political loyalties and more by the belief that Kishor was the strongest candidate to defeat the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). This thinking also found support among sections of Yadavs, upper castes, Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Kayasths.
Muslims shift from RJD to Prashant Kishor
In Sabzibagh, where Muslim voters have a strong presence, many residents said the community backed Prashant Kishor because they did not see the RJD candidate as capable of defeating the BJP. Mohammad Rizwan, a resident, said community members met at a nearby mosque and encouraged people to vote for the candidate who had the best chance of winning against the BJP. He said Kishor’s campaign created the impression that he was giving the BJP its toughest contest.
RJD’s weak campaign helped Kishor
The same mood was visible in Yaarpur and Jakkanpur, where many Yadav voters shifted towards the JSP. Mangesh Yadav said Tejashwi Yadav joined the campaign only in its final two days after returning from a foreign trip. He added that senior RJD leaders, including Sudhakar Singh, Misa Bharti, Sanjay Yadav and Manoj Jha, were largely absent, while the BJP had deployed around 40 star campaigners. According to him, many voters felt Kishor was fighting the election almost single-handedly and decided to support him.
BJP stronghold slips despite development work
The result was significant because Bankipura had remained a BJP bastion for nearly three decades. In the 2025 Assembly election, BJP national president Nitin Nabin retained the seat for a fifth consecutive term by defeating RJD’s Rekha Kumari by more than 51,000 votes. His father, Navin Kishore Prasad Sinha, had represented the constituency since 1995. In May 2026, Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary and Nitin Nabin inaugurated the ₹115-crore Mandiri Nala project, with the road named after Nabin’s father. Even so, voters rejected BJP candidate Neeraj Kumar Sinha.
Support came from different communities
Deepak Sharma, a Bhumihar from Mandiri, said Kishor appealed to voters because he focused on public issues and gave the message of voting for the future of children rather than making big promises. Brahmin voter Akhilesh Mishra said the BJP had become overconfident after winning the seat repeatedly and fielded a candidate who failed to connect with voters.
In SC-dominated areas such as Peermuhani and Daldali Road, residents said Kishor personally visited them and sought support for change. Bittu Kumar said Kishor even told people they could accept money from BJP workers if offered but should vote for the JSP.
The BJP also lost support in Kayasth-dominated localities such as Boring Canal Road, Kadamkuan, Exhibition Road, and Rajendra Nagar. One Kayasth voter, who had campaigned for the BJP, said he ultimately voted for Kishor and even asked his wife to press serial number 9 instead of the BJP’s serial number 2. Many residents also expressed anger over police action against students during the 25th July Bihar Bandh over NEET-UG irregularities.
A vote for change
Political observer Sanjay Kumar said Bankipura has never voted for a single ideology consistently and has elected candidates from the Congress, CPI, Left parties, the Janata Party, and even independents in the past. According to him, this election reflected the voters’ desire for change, with many communities putting aside old political preferences and rallying behind Prashant Kishor because they believed he was the most credible challenger to the BJP.
