Bihar's Bankipur bypoll sees triangular contest as voting begins
Voting commenced at 7 AM on Thursday for the Bankipur assembly by-election in Patna, Bihar, with tight security in place. The bypoll was necessitated after sitting BJP MLA Nitin Nabin vacated the seat upon his election to the Rajya Sabha in April.
Around 3.80 lakh voters are eligible to cast their ballots to decide the fate of 26 candidates. The contest is primarily triangular between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), and Prashant Kishor's Jan Suraaj party.
Polling officials and Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) were dispatched to designated polling stations on Wednesday evening. The Election Commission has made adequate arrangements to ensure a smooth voting process.
The by-election is seen as a test of strength for the ruling BJP-led NDA coalition and the opposition RJD-led Mahagathbandhan, with Jan Suraaj aiming to make its mark in Bihar politics.
