New Delhi: Bihar’s politics is always a subject of intense discussion, given the frequent and significant political upheavals witnessed there. Preparations are currently underway for the vacant Bankipur Assembly seat. All active political parties in Bihar have already begun strategising for this by-election.
This by-election is generating significant buzz, largely because Jan Suraaj Party leader Prashant Kishor has been declared a candidate. His candidacy was officially announced on Sunday. His entry into the fray promises to make the political battle for Bankipur highly interesting, a development that has also heightened anxiety within the BJP. Notably, BJP leader Nitin Navin had previously been elected MLA from this seat but resigned from the position.
Will the kingmaker emerge victorious himself?
Prashant Kishor is considered a political expert. He is regarded as a highly capable leader regarding elections, both at the grassroots level and on social media. Although his party contested the Bihar Assembly elections, it failed to make a significant impact. Now, with Prashant Kishor himself contesting from the Bankipur seat, the question on everyone’s mind is: how much public support can the man who turned others into political heroes garner for himself?
Will the opposition support Prashant Kishor?
Only the results of the Bankipur Assembly election will determine how effective Prashant Kishor who has previously used his strategies to transform others into political heavyweights, proves to be in his own campaign. Senior journalist Dhirendra Kumar remarked that by announcing his candidacy, Kishor has effectively stalled the opposition’s momentum in the electoral arena.
If the opposition aims to defeat the BJP, it will have to align with Prashant Kishor. If, for any reason, the opposition fields a candidate against him, he is likely to accuse them of indirectly supporting the BJP. Kishor’s primary objective will be to prevent a split in votes on the ground at all costs.
What are Prashant Kishor’s strengths?
The BJP has long held the Bankipur seat in Bihar. There appears to be little to no expectation that the opposition will achieve any significant success in this constituency. However, there are certain factors in this election that could provide a much-needed boost to Prashant Kishor. Most notably, besides being an educated leader, he hails from an upper-caste background.
Bankipur is an urban constituency with a significant upper-caste population; consequently, educated voters may be inclined to place their trust in Prashant Kishor. Furthermore, he could succeed in making inroads into the BJP’s traditional caste-based vote bank. While the constituency has a high concentration of Kayasthas, there are other caste groups as well that might be drawn to him. According to some observers, Prashant Kishor is expected to derive direct political benefit from the Bharat Tiwari encounter case.
