Bankipur bypoll: Prashant Kishor widens lead over BJP by 3,800+ votes after seventh round
Jan Suraaj Party (JSP) founder Prashant Kishor has further increased his lead over Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate Neeraj Kumar in the Bankipur Assembly by-election after the seventh round of counting on Monday.
According to the latest Election Commission figures, Kishor is leading with 13,500 votes after seven of the scheduled 31 rounds of EVM counting. BJP's Neeraj Kumar has secured 9,689 votes and is trailing by 3,811 votes.
Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) candidate Rekha Kumari remains in third position with 2,599 votes, trailing Kishor by 10,901 votes.
The latest figures were updated at 12.12 pm on Monday, August 3, 2026. Counting is continuing at the designated centre in Patna under tight security arrangements.
Kishor strengthens position in first electoral contest
The Bankipur bypoll marks the first direct electoral contest for Prashant Kishor, who entered politics after years as an election strategist and founded the Jan Suraaj Party.
The by-election was necessitated after BJP leader Nitin Nabin vacated the seat following his election to the Rajya Sabha earlier this year.
Bankipur, located under the Patna Sahib Lok Sabha constituency, has traditionally been considered a BJP stronghold. Nitin Nabin had represented the seat since 2010, while his father Nabin Kishore Prasad Sinha held the constituency before him.
31 rounds of counting scheduled
The Election Commission has scheduled a total of 31 rounds of counting for the Bankipur Assembly bypoll. The final result will be declared after completion of all rounds.
Kishor had earlier said he intentionally chose Bankipur instead of a politically safer constituency to highlight his call for voters to move beyond caste and religion while choosing their representatives.
He had also urged voters not to support political parties out of fear of either Lalu Prasad Yadav or the BJP.
"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.