Prashant Kishor (File photo)
NEW DELHI: Jan Suraaj Party (JSP) chief Prashant Kishor on Saturday termed the by-poll to Bihar’s Bankipur assembly seat a “referendum” on the promises made by the BJP during last November’s assembly polls, as the state now has its first chief minister from the saffron party.In April, BJP leader Samrat Choudhary succeeded party ally Janata Dal (United) supremo Nitish Kumar as chief minister. Kumar, who served in the top post for over two decades, has moved to the Rajya Sabha along with BJP chief Nitin Nabin, the previous representative of the Bankipur constituency – a fact highlighted by Kishor.Nabin moved to the Upper House after being appointed BJP’s national president.The date for the Bankipur assembly bypoll is yet to be announced.“Bankipur is the seat of the BJP’s national president. For the past 40 years, no party or leader has managed to defeat the BJP there,” Kishor told reporters in Patna.He added, “The (BJP-led) NDA won by giving the people of the state Rs 10,000 and by misleading them with false promises. For the first time, someone from the BJP is chief minister. So, the by-election will effectively serve as a referendum on the promises made in November 2025. The public will have the right to vote on those promises — whether it was the pledge to provide Rs 2 lakh, the promise to halt migration from Bihar, or the commitment to improve the education system and employment opportunities.”The former poll strategist further stated that it is for this reason that JSP should contest Bankipur with “full force”.The JSP, launched by Kishor in October 2024, made its electoral debut in the Bihar Assembly polls. However, it drew a blank despite contesting 238 of the 243 constituencies.
