Jan Suraaj founder Prashant Kishor and BJP candidate Neeraj Kumar Sinha file nomination papers for the Bankipur Assembly bypoll
July 13, 2026: Jan Suraaj Party founder Prashant Kishor on Monday filed his nomination papers for the Bankipur Assembly bypoll in Bihar, marking his electoral debut. Kishor, who is aiming to capture the BJP stronghold vacated by the party’s national president Nitin Nabin, was accompanied by his wife, Jahnavi Das, a medical practitioner from Assam. Though she usually stays away from public life, Das joined Kishor during the nomination process.
Speaking to reporters after filing his nomination, Kishor described the election as more than just a political contest. He said the bypoll represented a call for political change in Bihar and asserted that leaders with criminal backgrounds should no longer remain in power. Earlier in the day, he led a large roadshow from Dak Bungalow crossing to the collectorate and addressed supporters at a public meeting near the police lines. Kishor has repeatedly claimed that the bypoll would serve as a referendum on the NDA government in the state.
Meanwhile, the BJP’s candidate Neeraj Kumar Sinha also filed his nomination papers, accompanied by senior party leaders including MP Ravi Shankar Prasad and Bihar BJP president Sanjay Saraogi. The 32-year-old Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha leader was selected after the party’s original candidate, Abhishek Kumar “Bunty”, withdrew from the contest, citing family reasons. The Bankipur bypoll is expected to witness a closely watched battle between the BJP and the Jan Suraaj Party.