The nationwide outrage over paper leaks and alleged irregularities in recruitment examinations also became a significant issue during the by-election.
Published: August 4, 2026, 6:59 AM IST
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New Delhi: In a major blow to the BJP, Jan Suraaj Party founder Prashant Kishor made a historic electoral debut, winning the by-poll for Bihar’s prestigious Bankipur assembly constituencyThe Bankipur seat is considered to be one of the strongholds of the saffron camp since 1995It is important to note that the defeat comes days after the massive Gen Z protests across the countryThe seat was last held by BJP president Nitin Nabin, whose elevation necessitated the by-poll on August 30.
Kishor, who got 64,151 votes, defeated BJP’s Neeraj Kumar by 19,324 votesKumar garnered 44,827 votesRekha Gupta of RJD was a distant third with 14,273 votesA little less than 3.8 lakh voters, including 2 lakh men and 1.79 lakh women, were eligible to vote in the pollsThe by-poll recorded a voter turnout of 34.30 per cent, down by more than seven per cent from the 41.45 per cent registered in the last assembly elections, held just nine months ago.
Read more:
Bankipur Bypoll Result 2026: Bankipur verdict is message to BJP leadership, says Prashant Kishor
What Kishor Said After the Victory:
“The victory is a wake-up call for Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who must install a new Chief Minister in place of Samrat Choudhary, a man with criminal antecedents,” said Kishor, for whom it was a satisfying reversal of fortunesIn the assembly elections, his party had failed to win any seatsKishor had decided not to contest then.
Three main reasons that led to BJP’s humiliating defeat and Kishor’s victory:
Bharat Tiwari Encounter Case
Experts are of the opinion that the Bharat Tiwari encounter case proved to be a setback for the Bharatiya Janata PartyThe case not only sparked resentment among young voters but also intensified opposition to the party among sections of the upper-caste communityAlthough the BJP’s strategists and several senior leaders attempted to contain the political fallout through damage-control efforts, they were unable to fully mitigate its impact.
UGC Regulations 2026
Reports suggest that the implementation of the University Grants Commission’s (UGC) “Promotion of Equity in Higher Educational Institutions Regulations, 2026” worked against the BJP’s electoral strategy in the Bankipur by-electionThe policy is aimed at preventing caste-based discrimination in higher educational institutions.
To recall, the regulations came into effect across all higher educational institutions in the country on January 15, 2026Sections of the upper-caste community opposed the new regulations, and this opposition is believed to have had an immediate impact on the political mood in Bankipur.
NEET and Paper Leak Controversy
The nationwide outrage over paper leaks and alleged irregularities in recruitment examinations also became a significant issue during the by-election.
Young people across the country took to the streets to protestStudents in several states voiced their anger over alleged irregularities and paper leaks in examinations, including NEET, as well as the JPSC, JSSC, and Excise Constable recruitment exams in JharkhandThousands of students staged protests and even launched indefinite hunger strikes.
The controversy eventually led to the resignation of Education Minister Dharmendra PradhanThe Central government also passed an amended anti-paper leak law in Parliament, introducing stricter penalties and measures to curb unfair practices in examinations.
