E-Paper
Union minister explains why ‘no one should be overjoyed’ over BJP's Bankipur loss
The BJP suffered a setback in the high-profile Bankipur contest, with Jan Suraaj Party founder Prashant Kishor defeating BJP candidate Neeraj Kumar Sinha.
Union minister Giriraj Singh on Monday downplayed the BJP's defeat in the high-profile Bankipur Assembly bypoll in Bihar, saying the result should not be seen as an indicator of the party's prospects in the next state Assembly elections.
"We accept the results, but no one should be overjoyed by this. In 2009, under the leadership of Nitish Kumar, the NDA contested 17 seats in by-elections. We lost 12 seats, but in 2010, we won Bihar with an 89% strike rate. Therefore, many people should not be happy," Singh told reporters.
Also Read: BJP's loyalty test, Prashant Kishor's debut: Why Bankipur bypoll matters
Watch his statement here:
The BJP suffered a setback in the high-profile Bankipur contest, with Jan Suraaj Party founder Prashant Kishor defeating BJP candidate Neeraj Kumar Sinha by more than 19,000 votes, according to Election Commission data. The victory marked Kishor's electoral debut and handed his fledgling party its first seat in the Bihar Assembly.
Bihar minister and senior JD(U) leader Shrawon Kumar on Tuesday described the Bankipur assembly bypoll results as "contrary to expectations" and said the ruling NDA will review and ascertain the causes of its defeat.
"The Bankipur by-election results are indeed contrary to expectations. The NDA constituents, including JD(U), will conduct a detailed review of the results. It is only through a review that we can arrive at the exact causes behind our defeat," Kumar said.
The Bankipur seat had remained a BJP bastion for more than three decades and had elected BJP candidates in four consecutive Assembly elections since 2010. The bypoll was necessitated after senior BJP leader Nitin Nabin vacated the seat following his election to the Rajya Sabha.
The contest drew national attention as it came weeks after student protests over alleged examination irregularities, which culminated in the resignation of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan. Political observers viewed the bypoll as an early test of public sentiment ahead of the Bihar Assembly elections.
Also Read: Did Narottam Mishra's ticket snub cost BJP the Datia bypoll?
Prashant Kishor had framed the contest as a "referendum" on the BJP-led government in Bihar, arguing that the bypoll was about more than electing a single MLA.
By-elections were also held in Gujarat's Manjalpur and Madhya Pradesh's Datia on July 30. While the BJP retained Manjalpur, Congress held on to Datia, leaving the BJP with one win and two defeats across the three Assembly bypolls.
The Bankipur verdict comes as the BJP prepares for the Bihar Assembly elections and a busy electoral calendar over the next two years, with key state polls due in Uttar Pradesh, Punjab and Gujarat in 2027.
(With inputs from agencies)
