Patna, July 5 -- Jan Suraaj Party founder Prashant Kishor on Sunday threw his hat in the ring for a bypoll to Bihar's Bankipur Assembly seat vacated by BJP president Nitin Nabin, terming it a "referendum" on the BJP-led government's performance in the state.
The announcement at a crowded press conference here was met with wild applause by party activists, as the former poll strategist urged "four lakh electors" of the constituency to "vote for making a difference".
Nabin had held the Bankipur Assembly seat since 2006. He resigned as MLA following his election to the Rajya Sabha in April this year. The bypoll will be held on July 30.
Kishor's decision, turning the electoral contest into potentially a high-profile fight, has left the RJD and its ally the Congress sharply divided. Both parties had taken on the BJP in the seat over the past few decades without any success.
Congress leader Rishi Mishra said, "Kishor must contact Rahul Gandhi so that a decision can be taken on backing him as a candidate of the Opposition. The seat is a BJP stronghold, and Kishor's entry makes the contest high-profile. The INDIA Bloc must seize the opportunity to make a point against the NDA".
However, RJD spokesperson Mrityunjay Tiwari dismissed the suggestion as "a personal opinion" of Mishra, claiming that only Gandhi and Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge's statement could be considered as "the stand of that party". mpost
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.