Patna, July 30 -- Bihar Minister Ram Kripal Yadav on Thursday claimed that voters in the Bankipur Assembly constituency were overwhelmingly backing the BJP-led NDA candidate, saying "everyone is voting for the lotus", and questioned Jan Suraaj founder Prashant Kishore's standing in the constituency.

After casting his vote in the Bankipur Assembly by-election, Yadav said, "I have cast my vote. I have pressed the button for our candidate, the NDA nominee and Bharatiya Janata Party's Neeraj Kumar Sinha ji, whose symbol is the lotus. And wherever I hear, everyone is pressing the button for the lotus. Elderly men and women, rich and poor, intellectuals--everyone is voting for the lotus."

"Because the Lotus is a symbol of Goddess Lakshmi, and...