Bankipur bypoll: Prashant Kishor leading as counting underway

Patna: The results of the Bankipur Assembly by-election will be declared on Monday as counting of votes is underway at AN College in Patna. Voting for the constituency was held on July 30, recording a voter turnout of 34.30 per cent. The by-election has turned into a closely watched three-way contest between BJP candidate Neeraj Kumar Sinha, RJD candidate Rekha Gupta and Jan Suraaj Party candidate Prashant Kishor. In the first round of counting, Prashant Kishor established an early lead with 2,225 votes, giving him an advantage of 862 votes over his nearest rival. BJP's Neeraj Kumar Sinha stood second with 1,363 votes, while RJD's Rekha Kumari was in third place with 505 votes. Tanveer Alam of the Rashtriya Lok Janshakti Party was fourth with 203 votes. However, the counting process is still underway, and the early trends are not indicative of the final result. The BJP has expressed confidence in retaining the Bankipur seat. Party workers have already begun preparations for celebrations, with around two quintals of laddoos reportedly being prepared for distribution among party workers and the public if the party wins. Counting began at 8 a.m. at AN College. Postal ballots were counted first, followed by votes recorded in the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs). Votes from 422 polling stations are being counted in 30 rounds across 14 tables. Elaborate security arrangements have been put in place around the counting centre. More than 300 security personnel have been deployed, while drone surveillance is being used to monitor the area within a 300-metre radius of AN College. Supporters and unauthorised persons have been restricted from entering the designated security zone. Several traffic diversions and road closures have also been imposed around AN College to ensure smooth movement of election officials, candidates, agents and emergency services. Ahead of the crucial result, RJD National Working President Tejashwi Yadav visited the famous Harihar Nath Temple on the first Monday of Sawan and offered prayers. After the puja, Tejashwi extended his greetings to the people and expressed hope that devotees undertaking the Kanwar Yatra would face no inconvenience. He also prayed for the happiness and prosperity of the people of Bihar. Following the July 30 polling, Tejashwi had expressed confidence that RJD candidate Rekha Gupta would win the Bankipur seat. He claimed that she had received support from people across caste, religious and social groups. The election was necessitated by the resignation of BJP leader Nitin Nabin, who vacated the seat after becoming the BJP's national president and a Rajya Sabha member.

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