Patna, August 4, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Janata Dal (United) MLA Anant Singh on Tuesday claimed that the Bharatiya Janata Party’s defeat in the Bankipur Assembly by-election could have been avoided if JD(U) chief and Rajya Sabha MP Nitish Kumar had continued as the Chief Minister of Bihar.
Reacting to the victory of Jan Suraaj founder Prashant Kishor in the bypoll, Singh said public dissatisfaction over the change in leadership after the Assembly elections played a major role in the outcome.
Kishor defeated BJP candidate Neeraj Kumar Sinha by 18,963 votes, ending the BJP’s 35-year-long hold over the Bankipur constituency, which was considered one of the party’s strongest urban seats.
Speaking to IANS, Singh said the people’s verdict reflected their unhappiness over the leadership change in the state.
“The public is the master. Whoever they vote for wins. The public is saddened that someone is appointed Chief Minister, only to be removed midway and replaced by someone else,” he said.
Singh maintained that the electoral outcome would have been different if Nitish Kumar had remained Chief Minister. He also said the appointment of Samrat Choudhary did not influence public opinion, asserting that voters had chosen Nitish Kumar for the post.
“The entire public says that we appointed Nitish Kumar as CM, and the BJP removed him without his consent, but this claim is baseless. Nitish Kumar himself stepped down, but no one is ready to accept this. Everyone believes in Nitish Kumar,” Singh added.
Prashant Kishor’s victory came after an intensive grassroots campaign focused on governance, education, employment and development issues. The Jan Suraaj candidate managed to attract support across traditional caste lines, with voters from different social groups rallying behind him.
The BJP’s defeat in Bankipur, a constituency long regarded as a safe seat, is being seen as a significant setback for the party in Bihar’s political landscape.
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 MLA Anant Singh says BJP lost Bankipur bypoll due to Nitish Kumar’s exit as Bihar CM after Prashant Kishor’s victory.){kind=link}