look news india
The by-election to be held on the high-profile Bankipur assembly seat of Bihar has turned into a very exciting and triangular contest. While the main contest on this VIP seat situated in the heart of the capital Patna was believed to be between the ruling coalition and the opposition, now the equations on the ground seem to be changing completely. The biggest discussion in the election corridors is that the contest here has become more about securing the number two position than winning or losing. A game of check-mate has started between the heavy campaigning of Prashant Kishore (PK)’s Jan Suraj Party and the traditional vote bank of Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD).
Prashant Kishor’s high-tech campaign increased the heartbeat of the opposition camp
Jan Suraj Party, which has entered the electoral fray, has put in all its strength to woo the urban and educated voters of Bankipur. Prashant Kishor’s team’s digital management, aggressive election campaigning and strategy of connecting the youth is clearly visible on the ground. This loud ‘noise’ of PK has forced the parties doing traditional politics to think. Jan Suraj is claiming to make inroads especially among anti-government votes and youth, due to which the uneasiness of the main opposition party seems to be increasing.
RJD’s core vote bank tested, challenge to save cadre base
On the other hand, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) is standing firm on the basis of its strong organizational structure and traditional ‘MY’ equation. RJD has a very strong cadre base in many areas of Bankipur, which will not be easy for any new party to shake. Political analysts believe that even though Jan Suraj seems to be successful in creating air, RJD still has the skill and organized vote bank to take voters to the polling booth. In such a situation, RJD faces a big challenge to preserve its impenetrable fort and vote base.
Why the race for number 2 became a battle of prestige
Bankipur assembly constituency has traditionally been considered the stronghold of BJP, hence parallel to the fight for the first position, the race to be at number two has become the most interesting. If Jan Suraj comes second here, it will seal the emergence of Prashant Kishor as a big alternative in the future politics of Bihar. At the same time, if RJD remains strong in second place, it will prove that Tejashwi Yadav’s magic still exists on the ground and new parties are not able to cut his vote bank. This battle for number 2 has complicated the political equations of every booth of Bankipur.