Bihar Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary, BJP National President Nitin Nabin and others during a roadshow in support of the party candidate Neeraj Kumar Sinha ahead of the Bankipur Assembly by-poll, in Patna. Photo: PTI
Bankipur bypoll showdown: Why Nitin Nabin's home turf is turning into BJP's biggest test
BJP president hits the streets as anti-incumbency, Prashant Kishor's entry, price rise and student protests crackdown threaten party's 3-decade hold on Bankipur
Sensing a tough challenge in the Bankipur Assembly constituency bypoll in Bihar, which is being held today (July 30), a nervous BJP national president Nitin Nabin appears to have left no stone unturned to ensure the party's victory.
In the last three days, Nitin Nabin aggressively hit the campaign trail, undertaking a padayatra (foot march), making door-to-door visits, and holding corner meetings, reaching out to people in narrow bylanes in densely populated residential localities. Nitin was even seen desperately trying to strike an emotional chord with Bankipur voters during his interactions with them, claiming that he was born here and speaking of how he used to play cricket with his friends in the area.
The BJP president went to great lengths to drive home to the voters that he is a native of Bankipur. In the last three weeks, Nitin visited his hometown Patna thrice and camped there to aggressively campaign for the party candidate in the bypoll. Never before has a national president of a ruling party, both at the Centre and state, taken to the streets in such a manner like Nabin did to seek votes in this town.
Interestingly, Nitin Nabin has not undertaken a padayatra or conducted a door-to-door campaign even when he contested elections in this same constituency. From 2006, he has represented the constituency four times until 2025.
Strong contender in the fray
This is also contrary to what BJP leaders have been claiming in public that there is no battle in Bankipur. But, the ground reality is entirely different as the BJP deployed 50 MLAs, MLCs, half a dozen MPs and 16 Bihar ministers, to ensure support of its traditional core voter base in the constituency.
There are clear signs that this bypoll is going to be tough for the ruling BJP in Bankipur. This is largely because election strategist-turned-founder of Jan Suraj Party (JSP) Prashant Kishor, popularly known as PK, is in the fray this time.
Jan Suraaj Party founder and party candidate from Bankipur assembly, Prashant Kishor during a voter outreach, in Patna, Tuesday, July 28, 2026. Photo: PTI
BJP bastion, Nitin Nabin's home turf
This seat's importance lies in the fact that it is one of BJP's urban bastions and Nabin's traditional home turf. A place he repeatedly calls his “ghar” (home).
Bankipur, located in the heart of Patna, is widely seen as a BJP stronghold. The party has won the seat since the mid-1990s without fail. It has been represented four times by Nabin and as many times by his father, senior BJP leader Nabin Kishor Sinha. Before 2008, this assembly seat was known as Patna West.
And, Nabin wants to ensure the seat stays with the BJP. That's the reason, say experts, he took to congested streets and appealed to people with folded hands to support and vote BJP.
Sources in the BJP camp admitted that Nabin has been showing signs of stress due to internal and media reports that Prashant Kishor is all set to make a dent in the BJP's core support base. According to political observers, some sections of traditional voters are clearly unhappy with the BJP.
Taking these reports into consideration, Nabin has directed party leaders and workers to reach out to each voter and focus on each booth.
A nervous Nitin Nabin
Nabin tried to appear confident on the last day of campaigning at his road show followed by a public meeting, in which he stated that Bankipur is an invincible fort and no one could bridge it. He even assureed that the BJP will create a new record in the constituency.
However, he could not hide his nervousness when he raised the spectre of “Jungle Raj", urging people not to facilitate its return. It's not clear why he brought up 'Jungle Raj', which is often associated with the Rashtriya Janata Dal and not Prashant Kishor, who is their main rival in Bankipur.
Sanjay Gupta, BJP Kumharar MLA from Patna, said, "Bankipur is our party president Nitin Nabin ji's constituency and we are all working to win a big margin in this bypoll. Nitin ji was winning Bankipur with astounding margins because of his popularity and acceptance in all sections of society. The social equation is, once again, favourable to the party due to Nitin ji's presence."
Pushpender Kumar, former professor at the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) in Patna, a political observer, felt it was a "political compulsion" on Nabin's part, which led him to knock on people's doors and personally seek their votes.
"BJP is scared. The students' protest and police repression and brutality against the protestors are bound to have its impact in Bankipur as well. Realising that it is not going to be a walkover, Nitin Nabin is doing everything to influence and convince voters, who are no longer keen to support the party that he heads and expressed their unhappiness against the party in public,” said Professor Kumar.
Voters want change
The professor's views are echoed by people in several places in Bankipur. What is noticeable in Bankipur is that people are talking of a change this time.
”It is high time we should vote for a change. Having voted for the BJP in one election after another, the BJP has taken us for granted. A new face will bring some change,” Gajendar Prasad, a garment shop owner near Kadamkuan in Bankipur, told The Federal.
Sanjana Devi, housewife and resident of Bhattacharya road, too wanted change. "Bankipur is likely to witness a change. BJP is no more what it used to be, price hike is hitting all of us, students protesting against paper leak and demanding resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmender Pradhan, were beaten black and blue, arrested and projected as anti- national. Is it for this we voted BJP to power again?" she asked.
Rupesh Kumar Singh, a college student and one of the protestors, who lives near Gandhi Maidan, expressed his pain and anguish over the BJP-led government's treatment towards protesting students in Patna and in New Delhi.
He said, “We have made up our mind to teach BJP a lesson in Bankipur, we will all vote for change."
Why Bankipur bypoll is tough for BJP
Political analyst Soroor Ahmad believed that Nitin Nabin has been forced to conduct such a vigorous campaign to ensure Bankipur, a BJP bastion and his home turf, stays with the saffron party.
Ahmad added, “At least three factors are responsible for the tough fight in Bankipur. One is the candidate Prashant Kishor himself, who is a strong contender as the constituency has a sizable educated class. In comparison, BJP has exposed its weakness by changing its candidate Abhisek Kumar and fronting Neeraj Kumar Sinha, who is also a political lightweight. Secondly, the alleged loot of crores of rupees from Ram Mandir Trust has suddenly made a large section of BJP supporters rethink. Lastly, student agitation since last week had made a great impact, as Bankipur was one of the nerve centres of the protest."
Further, Ahmad said that BJP leaders may be claiming that there is no serious opposition to their candidate in this bypoll. But the facts on the ground tell another story, as the BJP is facing one of its toughest polls after 1995.
"The successful Gen Z protest against NEET paper leak and the resignation of Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan have also created trouble for them,” pointed out Ahmad.
Unlike bypolls in recent years in the state, Bankipur is not a normal bypoll. It is Bihar's first BJP chief minister Samrat Choudhary's first electoral challenge. He has been in power for just over three months. Added to which, Kishor keeps repeatedly flags that this bypoll is a referendum on the BJP government-led Samrat Choudhary.
“The Bankipur Assembly bypoll will be a referendum on the popularity of the BJP government in Bihar. The people of Bankipur are the richest and the most educated in Bihar and I feel they can repose their trust in me,” he said.
BJP's arrogance
Kishor further attacked the arrogance of BJP leaders, who claimed that BJP will win Bankipur, even if they field a dog or cat. He highlighted this statement to embarrass the BJP.
“People hear many BJP leaders saying that even a cat or a dog can win Bankipur if it were fielded on their party's ticket. This is how the BJP look at voters of this constituency and takes them for granted. But Jan Suraaj's victory will teach BJP a hard lesson," said Kishor.
Nearly nine months after Prashant Kishor’s party unsuccessfully contested its first Bihar assembly polls in 2025, the Jan Suraaj Party (JSP) leader seems upbeat about winning the seat, which he has been eyeing for the last four to five years. What raises eyebrows is that JSP contested 238 of the state’s 243 seats in last year elections but failed to win any seat.
Also read: Prashant Kishor to contest Bankipur bypoll, calls it ‘referendum on BJP govt’s popularity'
The party secured 3 per cent vote share, which was also less than what Kishor. He had been making tall claims that he would form the government. Despite JSP’s poor performance in the last polls, Kishor, his party leaders, and workers are hopeful of making a difference this time.
Votes will be counted on August 3.
Next Story