Prashant Kishor, founder of the Jan Suraaj Party and its candidate for the Bankipur Assembly constituency, on Thursday, 30 July alleged that more than 16 of his party's leaders were detained by police on the eve of polling and shuttled between stations without their whereabouts being disclosed. The allegation came as voting continued for the high-profile Bankipur Assembly bye-election in Patna, a contest being watched closely as a political litmus test in Bihar.

The Detention Allegation

Kishor maintained that the pre-poll detentions were designed to sideline his party's ground machinery rather than address any genuine law-and-order concern. 'There was no drama. As we had said, the police detained over 16 Jan Suraaj leaders and held them at various police stations. No one knew where they had been taken. Later, we learned they had first been shifted to Danapur and then to Shahpur police station. If they have done something wrong, a case should be registered against them. They were detained simply to keep them away from the election,' he said.

Patna Police had previously stated that the detentions were linked to maintaining law and order ahead of polling — a position Kishor explicitly rejected.

Kishor Backs BJP's Voter Verification Demand

In a notable cross-party alignment, Kishor also endorsed the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)'s demand for mandatory matching of EPIC (Elector's Photo Identity Card) details with voter names to curb bogus voting. 'The BJP has done an excellent job after a long time. Strict verification of EPIC IDs against voter names is a necessary step to prevent bogus voting,' he said. The endorsement is significant given that the BJP and Jan Suraaj are competing directly in the same seat.

The Contest and Its Stakes

A total of 25 candidates are contesting the Bankipur bypoll, with 3,79,616 registered voters. The principal contest is seen as a triangular fight between Kishor, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) candidate Rekha Gupta, and NDA-backed BJP candidate Neeraj Kumar Sinha. The BJP is seeking to retain what is widely regarded as its traditional stronghold, while the election doubles as a credibility test for Kishor's newly launched party.

Bihar Minister Urges High Turnout

Bihar minister Ashok Choudhary, after casting his vote, appealed to residents to participate in large numbers and raise the polling percentage. He noted that Thursday coincided with the first day of the holy month of Sawan, and expressed confidence that Bankipur's educated electorate would vote responsibly. 'Citizens who believe in a particular ideology strengthen democracy by voting according to their convictions,' he said.

Security and What Comes Next

Polling is being conducted under heavy security arrangements, with election authorities monitoring proceedings to ensure a free and fair process. Votes will be counted on 3 August. The outcome is expected to signal the early electoral viability of Kishor's Jan Suraaj experiment in Bihar's competitive political landscape.