Prashant Kishor reaches the counting center Monday 3 July, as Jan Suraaj is advancing towards victory in Bankipur. (Photo: X/@jansuraajonline/Enhanced using AI)Jan Suraaj founder Prashant Kishor on Monday said his party’s win in the Bankipur Assembly bypoll was a message from the people of Bihar to the BJP’s central leadership to appoint a “good” Chief Minister for the state. Kishor has achieved a thumping victory, gaining a lead by over 19,000 votes after 32 rounds of vote counting. So far, he has been able to win over 64,000 votes.Calling the outcome “a victory of the people of Bankipur”, Kishor said the bypoll was about more than electing an MLA. “This was an attempt by the people of Bihar to send a message to the BJP’s central leadership that they should appoint a good person as the Chief Minister of Bihar,” he said.Bankipur, Datia, Manjalpur By-Election Results Live Updates | Prashant Kishor heads for massive victory as lead swells to 18,000 votes; Congress wins DatiaHe said the people did not want “a person with a criminal background or questionable conduct, character or reputation” leading the state. Instead, Bihar needed a leader who could improve education, create jobs for the youth and ensure that people did not have to migrate elsewhere in search of employment.Kishor also urged the BJP leadership to prioritise Bihar’s development ahead of the Lok Sabha elections. “Prime Minister Modi, the BJP and Amit Shah should focus on improving Bihar, creating jobs for its youth and stopping migration. That is our only objective,” he said, adding that Jan Suraaj was not in politics “merely to become MLAs and award contracts”, but to push for the state’s development.Meanwhile, the Congress party won Datia seat with BJP trailing by a margin of over 6,000 votes. Congress’s candidate Ghanshyam Singh won over 66,000 votes defeating BJP’s Ashutosh Tiwari. The BJP was, however, able to retain the Manjalpur assembly seat in Gujarat’s Vadodara district, with its candidate Satish Patel defeating Congress nominee Bhikhabhai Rabari.Syed Ilham Jafri is a Trainee Sub Editor at The Indian Express, working on the Digital Desk covering breaking news, politics, global developments, and current affairs. He is involved in copy editing, live news blogs, SEO optimisation and digital publishing. He also writes for Express's Fresh Take and Books and Literature section. Academic Background Ilham has completed his Master's in International Journalism from the University of Leeds, United Kingdom, and holds a Bachelor's degree in English Literature with History from Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi. Areas of Interest Ilham's interests lie in media, politics, culture, world affairs, public discourse, communications, and digital, algorithmic and AI-driven public spheres. Alongside newsroom work, he has previously worked on communications and research-based roles with organisations including HIMAL Southasian, and the Software Freedom Law Center. He has also led and contributed to several student editorial initiatives and publications. His work engages with questions of media narratives, identity, and contemporary social and political culture. ... Read More Tags:Jan Suraaj PartyPrashant Kishor