The spotlight on the other two results arose primarily because Bankipur, an urban constituency within the Patna Sahib Parliamentary Constituency, had long been a BJP stronghold. The party had maintained control here since 1995, when Nabin Sinha secured a victory; upon his death, his son Nitin Nabin was elected for five consecutive terms.
Nitin Nabin, the current national president of the BJP, vacated the seat after being elevated to the Rajya Sabha, prompting the byelection. In light of this vacancy, Kishor chose to personally test the political landscape just seven months after the JSP faced setbacks in the November 2025 assembly elections.
With Kishor now marking his party’s presence in the 243-member assembly, the pressing question is how it will influence the political dynamics in Bihar, a state known for its political engagement. Preliminary evaluations indicate that Kishor harnessed various local issues, including the disaffection among upper castes, notably Brahmins, who had previously aligned with the BJP, alongside dissatisfaction with the government’s performance, as Kishor framed the by-poll as a referendum on the new Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary.
Another contributing factor was the backdrop of the Gen Z protests in Delhi, which resonated in Bihar. The frustration of youth, who demonstrated in strong numbers in Patna and elsewhere to support their peers in Delhi, was reflected at the polling booths. Despite a campaign led by Nitin Nabin, the BJP was notably rattled by a 19,000-vote loss, while the JSP’s workers found renewed enthusiasm, particularly after the party garnered a mere 3.34 percent share of the vote in the 238 seats it contested last November.
A subtle message from Bankipur emerged: voters from Janata Dal (United) expressed their dissatisfaction over the removal of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. This regional party, once the leading coalition partner since 2005, now finds itself as a minor player, with voter discontent translating into ballots.
Recently, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav provided a different interpretation of the results. He asserted that the BJP had shifted its strategy to gauge public sentiment. “The BJP intentionally lost these by-elections to assess if elections could be won without manipulation. They did not apply the same tactics in Bankipur and Datia as they did in Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal. The BJP’s losses in these by-elections are merely a ploy to mislead the populace,” Yadav claimed.
The results in Bankipur indicated that the Rashtriya Janata Dal should be concerned, as its usual supporters among the Yadavs and Muslims have significantly drifted away, resulting in their candidate achieving just over 10 percent of the vote share—insufficient to retain the security deposit. Can the JSP expand and capture ground at the RJD’s expense, particularly as it grapples with legacy issues like lawlessness and corruption? Such a shift could position JSP as the sole viable alternative to the BJP. Attention now turns to JSP and the founder’s upcoming decisions, given that he has four years to strategize for the party’s future in Bihar, with a reality check anticipated during the 2029 general elections.
Datia results
The Congress party, which secured the seat in the 2023 assembly elections with Rajendra Bharati defeating former BJP Home Minister Narottam Mishra by 77,000 votes, found itself in a favorable position. Mishra, hoping for renomination, was overlooked, and his supporters reacted negatively to the party’s decision. Although the BJP’s central leadership called for Mishra to discuss the matter, the political landscape had shifted. The onus is now on the Congress state leadership to cultivate their position in preparation for 2028.
As noted, whether these results signal a broader shift in sentiment that could escalate across the nation or if they are merely an isolated incident necessitates close and ongoing observation.
—The author, K V Prasad, is a Political Observer and a former Journalist. The views are personal.
