Bihar's Bankipur by-election: BJP fields Abhishek Kumar against Prashant Kishor

The Bankipur Assembly constituency in Bihar is holding a by‑election after incumbent Nitin Naveen moved to the Rajya Sabha. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) nominated long‑time organiser Abhishek Kumar, known as “Bunty”, who has served in various party roles and declared movable assets of about ₹19.6 lakh. The opposition fielded several candidates, most notably Prashant Kishor, founder of the Jan Suraj party, along with RJD’s Rekha Gupta and a candidate from Tejashwi Yadav’s party.

Janata Dal‑United (JD‑U) leaders have stressed that the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) is united behind Abhishek Kumar, with JD‑U national working president Sanjay Jha confirming joint campaigning. Kumar also met former Bihar chief minister and JD‑U president Nitish Kumar, who offered his blessings. Opposition parties, including RJD and the Rashtriya Janata Dal, have called for a single joint candidate to challenge the BJP.

Polling is scheduled for 30 July 2026, and the contest is being watched as a test of the BJP’s grassroots strength in a traditional stronghold and of Prashant Kishor’s expanding political influence.