Among them, Kishor appeared the most active in the high-profile constituency vacated by BJP national president Nitin Nabin following his elevation to the Rajya Sabha. Following a heated argument on Wednesday evening with Jakkanpur police station in-charge Rituraj Kumar Singh over the undisclosed location of two detained JSP workers, Kishor successfully pressed polling officials to rectify a malfunctioning electronic voting machine (EVM) at Daldali, near Dariyapur Gola, on Thursday morning.

Reacting to the clashes, Kishor told the Jakkanpur police, “Either tell us the location of our two detained workers or be ready to lose your job.” The Jakkanpur SHO subsequently accused Kishor of “threatening a police officer inside a police station”.

Tensions also flared between supporters of the JSP and BJP in several pockets. JSP and BJP workers — the latter led by Abhishek Bunty, who was forced to opt out of the bypoll and replaced by Sinha — clashed in S K Nagar. In another incident near a polling booth in Anandpuri, former MLA and JSP leader Kishore Kumar Munna was shoved by BJP workers following a heated exchange.

What voters said

Voter sentiments across Jakkanpur, Kadamkuan, Ashok Rajpath, Gandhi Maidan, Bailey Road, and Boring Road pointed towards a direct contest between the BJP and JSP. While upper-caste-dominated pockets, including Kadamkuan, indicated consolidated voting for the BJP, Jakkanpur and other areas presented a more mixed response. The BJP has won the Bankipur seat in consecutive elections since 1995.

Ranjeet Kumar Sinha, a voter at Kadamkuan, said, “We look at the BJP, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary, and BJP president Nitin Nabin — not the candidate. Prashant Kishor is closing the gap, but he might not be able to breach the BJP fortress.”

In Jakkanpur, a group of voters engaged in an intense debate over the BJP becoming “complacent” and “drunk with power”. “Let us see if Prashant can upset the BJP’s applecart,” said Dr Ajay Kumar.

At Khaitan Market, the voter heard chanting “jai Jan Suraaj, jai Prashant” on his way to the polling booth later noted, “Prashant has dissolved traditional boundaries of caste and religion. We need a good candidate, and PK is way ahead of the others.”

In Sabji Bagh, an area with a significant Muslim electorate, there were clear signs of a shift away from the RJD towards the JSP. Syed Abu Mustafa, a local voter, said, “We see potential in Prashant to challenge the BJP, which is why we are backing him at the expense of the RJD’s Rekha Gupta.”

Even Mandiri, an area with a dense Yadav population traditionally considered the core base of the RJD, showed signs of a shift. “So what if we are Yadavs and wear green towels? We have backed Prashant this time,” said Pintu Yadav.

Similarly, several voters in the Rajapul area — traditionally loyal to the BJP — said they had opted for a change. “If the election process remains fair and the BJP doesn’t micro-manage every booth, Prashant could surprise everyone,” said Raj Kumar Mehta. “Though there’s many a slip between the cup and the lip, the Bankipur fortress is certainly showing its first real cracks.”

A BJP bastion

Bankipur, an urban Assembly segment in the heart of Patna, has long been regarded as an unassailable bastion for the BJP. Comprising key commercial hubs, residential areas, and diverse demographic pockets, the seat has historically seen consolidated upper-caste vote blocs and high middle-class voter turnouts to deliver decisive mandates for the BJP.

The bypoll serves as a critical bellwether for Bihar’s shifting political landscape. While the RJD has traditionally relied on its core Muslim-Yadav coalition to mount a challenge, Prashant Kishor’s JSP has injected unpredictability into the contest. By focusing heavily on grassroots organisation and attempting to bridge long-standing caste divides, the JSP’s campaign in Bankipur is a test of whether an unaligned third force can breach established party strongholds in urban Bihar.