“Among a hundred drunken elephants, we need a camel.” That is how a general store owner near Kadam Kuan sums up the mood ahead of the July 30 Assembly bypoll in Patna’s Bankipur. Requesting anonymity for the fear of antagonising local BJP leaders, he says his family has voted for the BJP for years but plans to back Jan Suraaj Party founder Prashant Kishor this time.
“We are traditional BJP voters, but this time we have a much better choice in Kishor,” he says.
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His sentiment reflects an undercurrent visible across parts of the constituency, where Kishor’s candidacy has injected uncertainty into the contest in a seat that has long been considered a BJP bastion.
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The shopkeeper points to the recent student protests in Delhi, saying their impact has resonated in Patna as well. His son, a coaching student, was caught near Dak Bungalow Chowk when students gathered in large numbers to protest alleged systemic failures in education, an issue highlighted by climate activist Sonam Wangchuk and the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP).
Jan Suraaj Party Bankipur Assembly bypoll candidate Prashant Kishor. (Express photo by Rahul Sharma)
“This (the Delhi protests) shows the BJP is failing to address issues related to the youth and students,” he says, adding that the party’s decision to field first-time candidate Neeraj Kumar Sinha has disappointed many voters.
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The Bankipur bypoll was necessitated after five-time MLA and Nitin Nabin was elected to the Rajya Sabha following his elevation as the BJP’s national president. The RJD has fielded Rekha Gupta, runner-up in the previous two Assembly elections.
Jan Suraaj Party Bankipur Assembly bypoll candidate Prashant Kishor greets supporters. (Express photo by Rahul Sharma)
BJP’s traditional base
Not everyone, however, appears ready to abandon the BJP.
Among upper-caste Kayastha voters, who have traditionally backed the party, there remains considerable support, though some acknowledge unease over changing political equations.
Sujit Sinha, a retired teacher, recalls watching former Kumhrar MLA Arun Sinha campaign for Neeraj Sinha near Patna Junction. “A voter asked him point-blank whether the BJP couldn’t find a better candidate,” he says, referring to Neeraj Singa and the party’s previous pick Abhishek Kumar Sinha withdrawing from the race citing “family reasons”.
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The BJP has fielded Kayastha candidates in Bankipur for three decades: Naveen Kishore Sinha between 1995 and 2005, followed by Nitin Nabin from 2005 until this year. Kayasthas account for around 14% of the electorate, alongside an almost equal share of OBC Banias, with Yadavs, Rajputs, Brahmins, Dalits and Muslims making up the rest.
Jan Suraaj Party founder Prashant Kishor. (Express photo by Rahul Sharma)
PK’s pitch
Kishor, however, appears intent on moving the campaign beyond caste arithmetic.
Addressing a rally in the densely populated Daldali-Seelampur Hazra locality on Wednesday, he framed the election as a referendum on the BJP leadership. “If you want to register your protest against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, this is your best chance. If you want to remove Samrat Choudhary as Chief Minister, this is your best chance. And if you want to respond to the BJP’s arrogance of believing it can win regardless of whom it fields, this is your chance,” he says.
Kishor has also sought to counter the BJP’s religious messaging with his own softer symbolism. “Our flag is yellow, the colour associated with Lord Vishnu. It is not saffron. It is the colour of turmeric, used during sacred rituals,” he tells crowds. Referring to his number on the EVM, he adds: “I have been allotted number nine. You know how auspicious nine is. During Dussehra, Navami is the most important day.”
Jan Suraaj Party Bankipur Assembly bypoll candidate Prashant Kishor greets supporters. (Express photo by Rahul Sharma)
After the rally, he walks for over a kilometre through narrow lanes, waving at residents watching from balconies as supporters chant slogans.
Among those following the procession is cattle rearer Arvind Mahto. “I used to vote for the RJD, but PK is our clear choice now,” he says.
Sunil Kumar Singh, who works for a private firm in Delhi but whose family lives in Bankipur, echoes the sentiment. “My family has always voted for the BJP, but this time we are voting for Kishor. He has made it a close contest. The only question is whether he can cross the finish line.”
Jan Suraaj Party Bankipur Assembly bypoll candidate Prashant Kishor greets supporters. (Express photo by Rahul Sharma)
‘Organisational strength’
Elsewhere in the constituency, Neeraj Sinha is relying on the party’s organisational strength. Campaigning through SP Verma Road, Exhibition Road, Rajapur, Bakarganj and Kadam Kuan — several localities covered by Kishor earlier in the day — he repeatedly reminds voters of his grassroots credentials. “The BJP has given a ticket to a simple booth worker like me. You have always supported us, and I seek your blessings once again,” he tells small gatherings.
The BJP has deployed several senior leaders, including Patna Sahib MP Ravi Shankar Prasad and Danapur MLA Ram Kripal Yadav, besides 20 senior functionaries, to reinforce its campaign. Party leaders dismiss the “PK factor”, insisting the only question is the BJP’s victory margin.
The RJD’s Rekha Gupta, despite being the runner-up in the 2025 Assembly election, is attracting far less attention than the Opposition had hoped.
Campaigning largely away from the media spotlight, Gupta is appealing to voters to give her a chance. Belonging to the OBC Bania community, she is banking on support from sections of Banias, Yadavs and Muslims.
Yet even among these groups, there are signs that traditional voting patterns may not hold. A Yadav voter in Mandiri says, “Enough of caste. We see Kishor as a better choice than both the BJP and RJD.”
However, a section of voters remain unconvinced by Kishor’s first electoral test. Rajesh Sinha, a chartered accountant from Boring Road, says, “Kishor is undoubtedly intelligent, but strategy and governance are different things. Nabin built trust here over many years, and his endorsement of Neeraj Sinha carries weight.”
Near Gandhi Maidan, food stall owner Amit Kumar offers a similar assessment. “Everyone is talking about Kishor because this is his first election. There is curiosity, but curiosity does not always translate into votes. I think Neeraj Sinha may benefit from the fact that the BJP is in power at the Centre.”
Jan Suraaj Party Bankipur Assembly bypoll candidate Prashant Kishor. (Express photo by Rahul Sharma)
Young minds undecided
However, among younger voters, the verdict remains open.
Shruti Kumari, a law student on Boring Canal Road, says, “People my age know Kishor through social media and interviews. He seems thoughtful, but we will vote for whoever we think can actually solve local issues.”
Aryan Singh, a 22-year-old student who also works as a gig worker, says, “PK is definitely more visible, especially online. But the BJP has a strong organisation on the ground. I will decide only in the last few days of campaigning.”