Prashant Kishor to contest Bihar's Bankipur bypoll

Patna: Jan Suraaj Party founder Prashant Kishor on Sunday threw his hat in the ring for a bypoll to Bihar's Bankipur assembly seat vacated by BJP president Nitin Nabin, terming it a "referendum" on the BJP-led government's performance in the state. The announcement at a crowded press conference here was met with wild applause by party activists, as the former poll strategist urged "four lakh electors" of the constituency to "vote for making a difference". Nabin had held the Bankipur assembly seat since 2006. He resigned as MLA following his election to the Rajya Sabha in April this year. The bypoll will be held on July 30. Kishor's decision, turning the electoral contest into potentially a high-profile fight, has left the RJD and its ally the Congress sharply divided. Both parties had taken on the BJP in the seat over the past few decades without any success. Congress leader Rishi Mishra said, "Kishor must contact Rahul Gandhi so that a decision can be taken on backing him as a candidate of the opposition. The seat is a BJP stronghold, and Kishor's entry makes the contest high-profile. The INDIA bloc must seize the opportunity to make a point against the NDA". However, RJD spokesperson Mrityunjay Tiwari dismissed the suggestion as "a personal opinion" of Mishra, claiming that only Gandhi and Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge's statement could be considered as "the stand of that party". He maintained that the RJD had "contested Bankipur in last year's assembly polls and we shall do so in the by-election as well". When Kishor was asked at the press conference as to whether he would solicit the support of Congress and RJD, his reply was jocular. "Why only them, I shall ask even the BJP to support me. My election will have no impact on the government in the state, but it will usher in a change that is very much needed in the stagnant politics of Bihar". "The people of Bankipur are the richest and the most educated in Bihar. Let them vote for the best. If they feel they can repose their trust in me, I urge them to vote for me... I promise that with me as the lone MLA, the Jan Suraaj Party would still outweigh the remaining 242 ones in the assembly," he said. The 48-year-old reiterated that BJP leader Samrat Choudhary became chief minister "without the people's mandate" as the NDA had won the assembly polls last year with JD(U) president Nitish Kumar as its face. Kumar stepped down from the chief minister's post a couple of months ago after his election to the Upper House of Parliament. "The upcoming bypoll is going to be a referendum on the working of the two-month-old government of Samrat Choudhary. If the BJP wins, I will have no hesitation in conceding that they continue to enjoy public support. If we win, it shall be for them to read the writing on the wall," the former poll strategist added. Recalling the dismal performance of Jan Suraaj Party in assembly polls held in November last year, the IPAC founder said, "We could not succeed in convincing the people of Bihar that we mean business." "Still, we could garner about 18 lakh votes. For the past few years, I have devoted all my time and energy in Bihar, trying to build Jan Suraaj as a political alternative. And this shall be my sole occupation for another decade". Kishor, who had been dropping hints over the past few weeks that he was willing to contest the bypoll, said that a formal decision was taken at a meeting of Jan Suraaj Party's core committee, held soon after the schedule for the by-election was announced last week. After the press conference, the former poll strategist seemed to have decided that it was time to placate gods, as he offered prayers at the largest temples in the city, followed by "Rudrabhishek" at another place of worship. Filing of nomination papers will begin on Monday and continue till July 13, while voting will take place on July 30, followed by the counting of votes on August 3. The BJP, which seems confident of retaining the seat that it has been holding since the 1990s, is yet to declare its candidate. Till now, only former minister Tej Pratap Yadav, who has floated Janshakti Janata Dal upon his expulsion from the RJD by his father Lalu Prasad, has fielded a social activist, Veena Manvi, for the bypoll to the seat.