Prashant Kishore has taken an early lead of nearly 800 votes, putting the BJP on the back foot in a constituency that has been its stronghold for over three decades.
In line with exit poll forecasts, political strategist-turned-politician Prashant Kishore (PK) has surged ahead by nearly 1100 votesat the end of round two, raising the possibility of a major upset in what has long been regarded as a BJP bastion.
According to the initial rounds of counting, Kishore has secured around 3,790, while BJP candidate Neeraj Sinha trails with approximately 1,634 votes. RJD nominee Rekha Gupta is a distant third with about 1154 votes. Although the margins are expected to fluctuate as more rounds are counted, the opening trend has energized Kishore’s supporters and unsettled BJP workers.
The constituency has been one of the BJP’s safest seats for over three decades. It was previously represented by BJP national president Nitin Nabin, and in the last Assembly election, the party polled nearly 62 percent of the vote, winning by a commanding margin of more than 52,000 votes.
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— Rajat Jain (@RajatJain) August 2, 2026
Determined to retain the seat, the BJP mounted an aggressive campaign. Nearly 40 star campaigners were deployed, while senior leaders, including Nitin Nabin and Chief Minister Samrat Chaudhary, personally camped in the constituency for several days, holding rallies, roadshows and intensive door-to-door outreach.
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Despite the high-profile campaign, polling recorded a disappointing turnout of around 35 percent, significantly lower than expected. Political observers believe the subdued turnout may indicate voter dissatisfaction rather than apathy. Many point to the months-long student protests over alleged examination paper leaks and unemployment concerns, issues that dominated public discourse in the run-up to the election. Analysts say a section of young voters and first-time electors may have used the by-election to express their discontent with the ruling party, a sentiment that could be reflected in the final result.
However, election experts caution against reading too much into the initial rounds, noting that voting patterns can change sharply as counting progresses and ballots from different areas are opened. Even so, Kishore’s early advantage has transformed what was expected to be a routine BJP victory into one of the most closely watched contests of the election, with all eyes now on whether the early momentum can be sustained until the final declaration of results.
