Patna, July 6 -- Jan Suraaj founder and Bankipur Assembly by-election candidate Prashant Kishor on Monday said he was not looking for a "safe seat" and had deliberately chosen to contest from Bankipur, a long-standing BJP bastion, to send a message that Bihar's voters should move beyond caste and religion while exercising their franchise.

He also urged people to stop voting out of fear for either Lalu Prasad Yadav or the BJP.

Speaking to ANI, Kishor said he had consciously avoided contesting from a politically safe constituency. Bankipur, which falls under the Patna Sahib Lok Sabha constituency, has long been considered a BJP stronghold. The seat has been represented by the BJP's incumbent National President Nitin Nabin, since 2010 and,...