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RJD vs Congress over Bankipur: Prashant Kishor puts allies on different pages

The political contest for the Bankipur Assembly by-election has intensified after the Jan Suraaj Party officially named Prashant Kishor as its candidate. The announcement has set the stage for a high-profile battle, with Kishor taking on the BJP in a constituency that has remained one of the party's strongest strongholds for more than four decades. Kishor's entry into the race has also triggered fresh debate within the Grand Alliance over its electoral strategy for the bypoll. While the alliance is yet to announce its candidate, differences have already surfaced between two of its principal constituents — the RJD and the Congress — on how to approach the contest. RJD spokesperson Mrityunjay Tiwari said the party intends to contest the Bankipur by-election and will field its own candidate from the seat. The Congress, however, has suggested a different course. Congress spokesperson Rishi Mishra said that since Prashant Kishor has already declared his candidature, he should engage in discussions with the top leadership of both the Congress and the RJD. He said that if Kishor is willing, he should initiate talks with the leadership of the Congress and the RJD to explore the possibility of a joint strategy. The contrasting positions adopted by the RJD and the Congress have raised fresh questions about the Grand Alliance's plans for the Bankipur by-election. While the RJD has made it clear that it wants to contest the seat, the Congress has openly floated the idea of rallying behind a single Opposition candidate.