Prashant Kishor Accuses Bihar Police Of Detaining Supporters Before Bankipur Bypoll

Hours before polling began for the Bankipur Assembly bypoll in Bihar, Jan Suraaj Party founder and candidate Prashant Kishor accused the Bihar Police of detaining several of his supporters, alleging that the action was carried out under pressure from the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The allegations triggered high drama late on Wednesday night as Kishor and his supporters gathered at the Jakkanpur police station in Patna, demanding information about those who were allegedly taken into custody. The bypoll was necessitated following the resignation of BJP MLA Nitin Nabin, with polling scheduled to commence on Thursday.

Addressing reporters outside the police station, Kishor claimed that more than 16 of his supporters had been detained without any official record or explanation. He alleged that the police were unable to disclose where the detained individuals had been taken and said officers informed him that they had been shifted to different police stations. According to Kishor, the Station House Officer (SHO) at Jakkanpur denied the police station’s involvement in the detentions, stating that the action had been ordered by senior officials.

The Jan Suraaj leader further alleged that the SHO threatened him and his supporters during a heated exchange, claiming the officer warned he would “deal with them after taking off his uniform.” Kishor said he remained at the police station for several hours to protest what he described as a lack of professionalism and transparency by the police. He also warned that the concerned officer could face consequences if any harm came to his detained supporters.

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Kishor alleged that the detentions were politically motivated and accused the BJP of using the administrative machinery to influence the outcome of the bypoll. He claimed the ruling party feared defeat in Bankipur and had devised a strategy to keep some of his supporters in custody until polling concluded. Referring to legal provisions governing police custody, Kishor alleged that the move was intended to prevent his party workers from participating in election-related activities on polling day.

The Jan Suraaj Party founder maintained that such actions would not alter the electoral outcome, despite claiming that the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) had deployed a large number of legislators to campaign in the constituency. He also said one of his party colleagues was allegedly threatened with action under Bihar’s prohibition law. Kishor stated that after the bypoll process concludes, his party would seek action against police officials whom it believes acted improperly during the incident.

The Bankipur bypoll has attracted significant political attention as it marks Prashant Kishor’s electoral debut after years as a political strategist. Although 26 candidates are contesting the seat, the main contest is widely viewed as being between Kishor and BJP candidate Neeraj Kumar Sinha. As of the time of reporting, the Bihar Police had not publicly responded to Kishor’s allegations or confirmed the reported detentions, and the claims remain contested pending an official statement.

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