Counting Begins for Bihar's Bankipur By-Election Amid Tight Security

The vote counting for the Bankipur assembly by-election in Bihar has officially begun, with heightened security in place. This election follows the vacancy created by BJP's Nitin Nabin's Rajya Sabha election. With a turnout of 34.30%, the competition features 26 candidates, including Rekha Gupta from RJD and newcomer Prashant Kishor from the Jan Suraj Party. The BJP has maintained a winning streak in this constituency since 1995. Stay tuned for updates on the results.

By Narendra Chaudhary Aug 3, 2026, 10:10 IST

Overview of the By-Election in Bankipur

Patna, August 3 - The counting of votes for the Bankipur assembly by-election commenced at 8 AM on Monday, under strict security measures. This by-election was necessitated following the election of BJP's national president Nitin Nabin to the Rajya Sabha in April. Nitin Nabin had previously secured this seat in the November 2025 assembly elections for the fifth consecutive time.

He had defeated the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) candidate Rekha Gupta by a margin exceeding 50,000 votes. An official stated, 'The counting of votes for the Bankipur assembly by-election has begun amidst tight security.' The voting held on July 30 recorded a turnout of 34.30%, which is a decline of seven percentage points compared to the 41.45% turnout in the last assembly elections. A total of 26 candidates are contesting this time.

The RJD has once again nominated Rekha Gupta for this by-election. Prashant Kishor, the founder of the Jan Suraj Party, is contesting his first election from this seat. Meanwhile, the BJP has fielded Neeraj Kumar Sinha, a relatively lesser-known leader from the youth wing, as their candidate.

Since the assembly constituency was named Patna West in 1995, the BJP has never faced defeat in this seat.