Amid the ongoing counting for the Bankipur Assembly bypoll in Bihar, Jan Suraaj founder Prashant Kishor launched a sharp attack on Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary after establishing a decisive lead over BJP candidate Neeraj Kumar Sinha.
By the end of the 29th round, Kishor had secured 61,075 votes, while Neeraj Sinha polled 42,111 votes, giving the Jan Suraaj candidate a lead of 18,964 votes. RJD's Rekha Gupta remained in third position with 13,625 votes.
With counting scheduled across 31 rounds, the final result is still awaited. However, with only two rounds remaining, Kishor appeared headed for his first electoral victory.
Addressing the media amid the strong counting trends, Kishor said the election should not be viewed merely as a contest between individual candidates but as a message from the people of Bankipur to the BJP central leadership.
"This is not my victory, but the victory of the people of Bankipur. This election is not just about choosing an MLA; it is a message to the BJP central leadership, including PM Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah, to select a capable Chief Minister. Bihar needs leadership that ensures education, employment and development. Bihar does not want a Chief Minister having a criminal record," he said.
Kishor thanked those who voted for him and said he would work to earn the confidence of those who did not support him.
He also directly targeted Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary, describing the vote as a rejection of the government's performance.
#WATCH | Bihar | Jan Suraaj workers in Patna celebrate as Prashant Kishor continues to lead in Bankipur bypoll
— ANI (@ANI) August 3, 2026
Bankipur bypoll counting update- Round 22 of 31: Jan Suraaj, chief Prashant Kishor, has widened his lead to 12,809 votes over the BJP candidate. pic.twitter.com/xWJZE991aH
According to Kishor, welfare measures such as distributing a few kilograms of foodgrains alone cannot solve Bihar's problems. He said people want employment, quality education, healthcare and development, while also raising concerns over law and order and calling for honest, development-oriented governance.
Extending his criticism to the Centre, Kishor argued that development and resources should be distributed equally among states. He said Bihar deserves the same opportunities and facilities as states like Gujarat and questioned what he described as an unequal distribution of development benefits.
Despite his substantial lead, Kishor appealed to Jan Suraaj supporters to remain calm until the final result is officially declared and urged them to closely monitor the remaining counting process.
If the trend holds through the remaining rounds, the Bankipur result will mark a significant breakthrough for Jan Suraaj and Prashant Kishor, who is contesting and leading in his first Assembly election after years of working behind the scenes as one of India's most sought-after political strategists.
At one point, Prashant Kishor was regarded as the country's most sought-after election strategist, known for crafting high-impact campaigns and making political predictions that often reshaped electoral contests. His campaign strategies were designed with military precision, though he remained behind the scenes rather than contesting elections himself.
Today, as the counting in the Bankipur Assembly bypoll nears its conclusion, the master strategist is on the verge of securing victory in his first direct electoral contest. With every passing round, his margin over BJP's Neeraj Kumar Sinha widened, putting at risk a constituency that has remained a BJP stronghold since 1995, when it was known as Patna West. The seat was vacated after BJP state president Nitin Nabin was elected to the Rajya Sabha.
For Kishor, this direct electoral success is a milestone in itself. However, his political journey has been marked by both remarkable victories and significant setbacks.
Major successes and high points
2014 Lok Sabha Elections (BJP/Narendra Modi): Kishor co-founded Citizens for Accountable Governance and helped design Narendra Modi's high-impact campaign, including Chai Pe Charcha, 3D holographic rallies and the iconic "Abki Baar Modi Sarkar" slogan. The BJP's landslide victory established him as India's premier political strategist.
2015 Bihar Assembly Elections (Mahagathbandhan): He demonstrated that his success was not limited to one party by leading the JD(U)-RJD-Congress alliance to a decisive victory against the BJP-led coalition.
2017 Punjab Assembly Elections (Congress): Kishor strategised Captain Amarinder Singh's "Coffee with Captain" campaign, helping the Congress return to power with a comfortable majority.
2019 Andhra Pradesh Assembly Elections (YSRCP): He designed Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy's massive Padyatra and the "Ravali Jagan, Kavali Jagan" campaign, which resulted in a landslide victory with 151 of 175 seats.
2020 Delhi Assembly Elections (AAP): Kishor helped Arvind Kejriwal's Aam Aadmi Party build a hyper-local campaign centred on governance, education, healthcare and utilities, leading to a dominant 62-seat victory.
2021 West Bengal and Tamil Nadu Elections (TMC & DMK): In West Bengal, he created the "Khela Hobe" and "Bangla Nijer Meyekei Chai" campaigns for Mamata Banerjee, helping the Trinamool Congress defeat an aggressive BJP campaign. He had famously vowed to quit political strategy if the BJP crossed 100 seats; the party eventually won 77 seats.
In Tamil Nadu, he assisted M.K. Stalin's DMK in returning to power after a decade in opposition.
Jan Suraaj Padyatra (2022–24): Kishor walked thousands of kilometres across Bihar, directly engaging with people and building a grassroots movement before launching the Jan Suraaj Party in late 2024.
Setbacks and structural failures
2017 Uttar Pradesh Assembly Elections (Congress): Hired by the Congress, Kishor projected Sheila Dikshit as the chief ministerial face and helped forge the "UP ke Ladke" alliance between Rahul Gandhi and Akhilesh Yadav. The strategy failed, with the Congress reduced to just seven seats.
JD(U) tenure and expulsion (2018–20): Kishor formally joined the JD(U) as its vice president in September 2018. However, his public differences with Nitish Kumar over the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and the National Register of Citizens (NRC) led to his expulsion in early 2020.
Failed Congress revival talks (2021–22): Kishor spent months negotiating with the Congress leadership over a long-term revival roadmap, but talks eventually collapsed due to disagreements over organisational autonomy and implementation.
2025 Bihar Assembly Elections (Jan Suraaj): His first major electoral test as a political leader ended in disappointment as the newly formed Jan Suraaj Party failed to convert public support into significant electoral success. Kishor himself acknowledged the result as a major setback.
