The constituency, centrally located in Patna, has become a significant battleground, with candidates from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), and Jan Suraaj competing.
In addition to the 182-Bankipur constituency in Bihar, by-elections are also being held for the 145-Manjalpur constituency in Gujarat and the 22-Datia constituency in Madhya Pradesh. The vote counting for all three Assembly by-elections is set for August 3.
Polling begins under strict security
Voting commenced at 7 am and is being carried out with rigorous security measures, as reported by PTI officials.
STORY | Voting commences for Bankipur assembly bypoll in Bihar; Prashant Kishor among 26 candidates vying for the seat
Polling for the Bankipur assembly by-election in Bihar kicked off at 7 am on Thursday amid robust security arrangements, officials stated.
Approximately 3.80 lakh voters are eligible to… pic.twitter.com/7rmQOzv2SQ
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) July 30, 2026
Nearly 3.80 lakh voters can cast their ballots at 422 polling stations, all situated in urban areas. A total of 26 candidates are contesting.
What prompted the by-poll?
The by-election was called after Nitin Nabin vacated the seat following his election to the Rajya Sabha in April. The BJP leader had served multiple terms in this constituency before transitioning to the Upper House.
Who are the leading candidates?
The BJP has nominated Neeraj Kumar Sinha, while the RJD has re-selected Rekha Gupta, who was defeated by Nitin Nabin in the last Assembly election. Prashant Kishor, the founder of the Jan Suraaj Party and a former election strategist, is making his electoral debut from this constituency.
A stronghold for BJP
Bankipur, previously known as Patna West before the delimitation in 2008, has been held by the BJP since 1995. Nitin Nabin won the seat for the fifth consecutive term in the last Assembly election, defeating Rekha Gupta by a margin exceeding 50,000 votes.
(Edited by : Sudarsanan Mani)
First Published: Jul 30, 2026 10:15 AM IST
