Bihar’s Banki Pur by‑election sees arrests of Jan Suraj leaders

Voting for the Banki Pur assembly by‑election in Bihar began Thursday morning under tight security, with polling scheduled to run until 6 p.m. Approximately 3.8 million registered voters will choose among 26 candidates, including Jan Suraj founder Prashant Kishor.

Ahead of the vote, police detained roughly 20 Jan Suraj activists in Patna, a move the party says is a targeted crackdown. The party lodged a complaint with election officials, alleging that the arrests were carried out at the behest of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to hinder its campaign. Several detainees were taken by the Special Task Force to different police stations, and the party claims they have been held without formal records.

The seat has long been a BJP stronghold; former BJP national president Nitin Naveen vacated it after being elected to the Rajya Sabha. The BJP has fielded its own candidate, while Jan Suraj contests the seat for the first time. Election authorities have not yet responded to the party’s allegations.