Patna: Counting of votes for the Bankipur Assembly by-election is underway at A.N. College in Patna, where the process began at 8:00 AM on Monday. The outcome will decide the political fate of 25 candidates, including Jana Suraj’s Prashant Kishor, BJP’s Neeraj Sinha, and RJD’s Rekha Gupta.

After the completion of the fifth round of counting, Prashant Kishor has maintained a comfortable lead over his nearest rival, BJP candidate Neeraj Sinha, by 2,319 votes.

According to the latest trends:

• Prashant Kishor (Jana Suraj): 8,971 votes
• Neeraj Sinha (BJP): 6,652 votes
• Rekha Gupta (RJD): 1,534 votes

While Prashant Kishor has remained ahead since the initial rounds, BJP’s Neeraj Sinha continues to trail. Meanwhile, RJD candidate Rekha Gupta has crossed the 1,500-vote mark but remains a distant third in the contest.

The counting process is still in progress, and the final result is expected later in the day. The Bankipur by-election is being closely watched as it is seen as a significant political test for the BJP, the emerging Jana Suraj party led by Prashant Kishor, and the RJD in Bihar.