Patna: Political tensions intensified on the eve of the Bankipur Assembly by-election after a complaint was lodged against Jan Suraaj candidate Prashant Kishor at Shastri Nagar police station, while his party alleged that several of its leaders and workers had been detained ahead of polling.
Voting for the by-election is scheduled for Thursday. Polling teams, along with Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs), were dispatched on Wednesday to polling stations across the constituency.
JD (U) Demands Action Against Prashant Kishor
The complaint against Kishor comes amid mounting political rhetoric ahead of polling.
JD(U) MLC Neeraj Kumar demanded action against the Jan Suraaj leader, accusing him of misleading the public. In a sharp attack, Kumar described Kishor as a “political novice” and claimed that the strategist-turned-politician had lost his security deposit in the 2025 Assembly elections before entering the by-election contest.
Jan Suraaj Alleges One-Sided Police Action
Jan Suraaj alleged that around 20 of its leaders and workers had been detained by police in Patna ahead of the vote.
According to the party, teams from the District Intelligence Unit (DIU) were conducting a series of arrests, with workers accused of creating disturbances and spreading misinformation. The party also claimed that individuals with previous police records were being taken into custody.
In a statement, Jan Suraaj alleged that “one-sided action” was being taken against its workers in the Bankipur Assembly constituency.
The party said Pratyush Purv had been taken to Jakkanpur police station, Varun Kumar of Khagaria to Pirbahore police station and Abhay Sharma of Motihari to Jakkanpur police station.
It further alleged that Vikas Singh, Amir Imtiaz, Manish Jha and Sudarshan Mishra were detained by the Special Task Force (STF) in what it described as a dramatic operation.
Polling To Take Place On Thursday
The by-election will be held on Thursday under security arrangements put in place by the district administration. Election officials have completed the dispatch of polling personnel and EVMs to polling stations, with authorities expected to maintain heightened security throughout the voting process.
The police had not issued an official response to Jan Suraaj’s allegations at the time of publication.
