BJP Chief Dismisses Gen Z Protest Impact on Bankipur Bypoll, Says Youth With Party

The upcoming bypoll in Bihar's Bankipur constituency has drawn national attention, largely due to two developments: Prashant Kishor's entry as a candidate for his Jan Suraaj party, and the ongoing Gen Z protest at Delhi's Jantar Mantar, which led to Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan's resignation. Political analysts are examining how these factors might affect the ruling BJP's electoral prospects in the seat.

BJP national president Nitin Nabin, campaigning for party candidate Neeraj Kumar Sinha, dismissed any suggestion that the protests would hurt the party's chances. Speaking to NDTV, he pointed to the crowd at his roadshow and said the youth are standing with the BJP. "The youth of today is with Narendra Modi, Samrat Chowdhury and especially with the National Democratic Alliance (NDA)," he asserted.

Bankipur has been a stronghold for Nitin Nabin, who vacated the seat after winning four consecutive assembly elections to enter national politics via the Rajya Sabha. He expressed full confidence in the party candidate, stating, "I believe that Neeraj Sinha has been given a ticket as an ordinary worker of the party."

Regarding Prashant Kishor's candidacy, Nabin said, "I believe that the people who work for everyone are from the BJP and the NDA. We are loved in every house. Who comes, who goes doesn't affect the health of the BJP and the NDA. Because we live for the people. People come from outside and do nothing here." Kishor's Jan Suraaj party failed to win any seat in the 2025 Bihar assembly elections, and this bypoll marks his first electoral contest as a candidate.

Polling for the Bankipur seat is scheduled for July 30, with vote counting on August 3. The bypoll is seen as a test of the BJP's hold in the constituency amid shifting political dynamics.