"Matter of pride": Jan Suraaj Chief Prashant Kishor takes oath as Bankipur MLA after bypoll victory

Addressing reporters after taking his oath, the newly elected MLA expressed gratitude and outlined his legislative focus:

"It is a matter of pride for me to become a member of the Assembly in Bihar... I leave here today with the resolve to draw inspiration from the hundreds of legislators and members who have dedicated the precious years of their lives to the betterment of this society and state, and to do something meaningful for the people and the state of Bihar."

Earlier, Jan Suraaj Party chief Prashant Kishor secured victory in the Bankipur by-election by a margin of 19,324 votes, defeating Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate Neeraj Kumar Sinha. The Bankipur assembly seat, long considered a BJP stronghold since 1995, was vacated by BJP National President Nitin Nabin before the by-election.

Reacting to the outcome, Prashant Kishor noted that the Bankipur bypoll verdict sent a clear message from the people of Bihar to the BJP and National Democratic Alliance (NDA) leadership to change the state's leadership, alleging that voters had rejected Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary over his "conduct, character, and face"

Speaking to ANI after the Bankipur bypoll results were declared, Kishor stated that the outcome reflected widespread public dissatisfaction with the BJP's local leadership in Bihar rather than a demand for a complete change in government.

"The victory in Bankipur is seen as an attempt by the people of Bihar to send a message to the leadership of the BJP and the NDA: appoint a better person as the Chief Minister of Bihar and focus on the promises you made when coming to power. The language being used--crime, half-encounters, and shooting people based on their caste gamchha--must be stopped. Instead, conversations in Bihar should be about education, employment, and migration," he said. (ANI)