Patna: As Prashant Kishor extended his lead in the Bankipur Assembly by-election, political attention turned to one of the campaign’s most discussed controversies—an alleged remark by a BJP leader that Jan Suraaj repeatedly used to accuse the party of taking voters for granted.
Throughout the campaign, Kishor referred to an alleged statement that the BJP’s hold over Bankipur was so strong that “even if the party fielded a dog or a cat, it would win the election.” The identity of the BJP leader who allegedly made the remark has not been established publicly.
No BJP leader publicly responded to or denied the claim during the campaign.
Campaign Focused On Alleged Political Arrogance
Kishor made the alleged remark a recurring theme at election rallies, arguing that it reflected what he described as the BJP’s political arrogance in a constituency long regarded as one of its safest urban seats.
He urged voters to reject what he characterised as complacency and to demonstrate that no political party could take the electorate for granted.
The issue quickly gained traction on social media, where the alleged comment became the subject of widespread discussion during the campaign.
Jan Suraaj Claims Momentum
As counting progressed on Monday, Jan Suraaj workers claimed the campaign strategy had resonated with voters.
According to counting trends available after the 16th round, Prashant Kishor had opened a lead of around 14,000 votes over BJP candidate Neeraj Sinha, while the RJD’s Rekha Gupta remained in third place.
The figures remained subject to official confirmation by the Election Commission.
Supporters gathered outside the counting centre at AN College and at the Jan Suraaj office in Patna, celebrating the trends with slogans and coloured powder as the lead widened.
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NDA Leaders Urge Patience
Reacting to the early trends, JD(U) minister Sunil Kumar cautioned against drawing conclusions before counting had been completed.
“This is not the time for an assessment. Let the counting conclude; we will comment on the results only after that. Whatever the public mandate turns out to be, it will be acceptable to all of us,” he said.
Another JD(U) minister, Shrawon Kumar, responded light-heartedly when asked about the celebrations, saying, “You, too, should join in the celebration.”
Sunil Kumar added that supporters were free to celebrate if they wished but stressed that the final verdict should be awaited until all 31 rounds of counting had been completed.
With the official result still pending, the Bankipur by-election has already emerged as one of Bihar’s most closely watched political contests, with the outcome likely to shape the state’s political narrative ahead of future elections.
