NDA Claims Massive Lead in Bankipur Assembly By-Election

The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) is positioning itself for a decisive victory in the Bankipur Assembly by-election, with Member of Parliament Ravi Shankar Prasad asserting that the coalition has unprecedented public support. The seat became vacant after BJP President Nitin Nabin resigned from the Bihar Legislative Assembly to join the Rajya Sabha. The BJP has nominated Abhishek Kumar Sinha to defend the seat, which the party has held since 2010, and has deployed high-profile campaigners including MLC Pawan Singh.

Opposing the BJP, Tej Pratap Yadav, president of the Janashakti Janata Dal, has announced support for Jan Suraaj Party founder Prashant Kishor. Yadav is attempting to consolidate an opposition front, seeking cooperation from Rashtriya Janata Dal candidate Rekha Gupta to end the BJP's 15-year hold on the constituency. Beyond the election, Yadav has appealed to Abhijeet Dipke, founder of the Cockroach Janta Party, to visit Bihar and help remove the government led by Samrat Choudhary.

Political tensions peaked on July 26 when Bihar police detained Yadav at Ram Gulam Chowk in Patna during a student-led sit-in protest against an alleged NEET paper leak. This protest followed the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. While Dipke has promised that the next Cockroach Janta Party event will be held in Patna, the NDA continues to campaign on a platform of infrastructure development, including the Atal Path and Vande Bharat train expansions. Polling is scheduled for July 30, with results expected on August 3.