Jan Suraaj names Prashant Kishor as its candidate for the Bankipur Assembly bypoll, marking his first-ever electoral contest.
July 5, 2026: Political strategist-turned-politician Prashant Kishor is set to make his electoral debut after Jan Suraaj announced him as its candidate for the upcoming Bankipur Assembly bypoll in Bihar. Party president Manoj Bharti said the decision was unanimously approved by the core committee. The bypoll, scheduled for July 30 with counting on August 3, is expected to be a key political test for Kishor as he enters electoral politics for the first time.
The Bankipur Assembly seat, located in Patna, has long been considered a BJP stronghold. The bypoll was necessitated after former MLA Nitin Nabin was elected to the Rajya Sabha. Kishor said the election would serve as a test of the current Bihar government, adding that while the outcome would not alter the government, it could shape the future direction of the state’s politics.
Accepting the party’s nomination, Kishor thanked Jan Suraaj for placing its trust in him and promised to contest the election with full commitment. He said that if elected, he would work to meet the expectations of the people and effectively raise their concerns in the Bihar Assembly. Kishor had not contested the previous Assembly elections, choosing instead to build Jan Suraaj’s organisational base, though the party secured around four per cent of the vote share without winning any seats.