BJP suffers setback in key bypolls, youth give wakeup call to BJP government | GRAVITAS

Barely a week after youth-led protests in New Delhi over education-related issues, the BJP has suffered setbacks in two important assembly by-elections, with the opposition registering significant victories.

The biggest development came from Bihar's Bankipur assembly constituency, a seat long considered a BJP stronghold. Jan Suraaj Party founder Prashant Kishor defeated BJP candidate Neeraj Kumar Sinha by a margin of 19,324 votes.

The contest drew considerable attention because Bankipur was vacated earlier this year after BJP national president Nitin Nabin was elected to the Rajya Sabha. The constituency has remained with the BJP since 1995, making the bypoll a closely watched political contest.

The election also witnessed early controversy after the BJP replaced its original candidate, Abhishek Bunty, with Neeraj Kumar Sinha within 24 hours of the nomination filing process.

According to data released by the Election Commission of India, Prashant Kishor secured 49.22% of the votes polled, while BJP's Neeraj Kumar Sinha received around 34%. RJD candidate Rekha Kumari, who had finished second in the 2025 Bihar Assembly election, came third in the bypoll with nearly 11% of the vote.

Victory for the Jan Suraaj Party

The result has been viewed as significant because it marks the first electoral victory for the Jan Suraaj Party since its formation. The party, launched by political strategist-turned-politician Prashant Kishor in 2024 after a two-year Bihar padayatra, had contested 238 of the state's 243 assembly seats in the 2025 election but failed to win any seat, securing around 3% of the overall vote.

Before entering active politics, Kishor was known for advising multiple political parties across India, including the BJP, Congress, JDU, RJD, TMC, DMK and YSRCP through the Indian Political Action Committee (I-PAC).

Reacting to the result, Kishor described the victory as a political verdict on the state's leadership. Bihar Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary congratulated him, while BJP's Bihar unit president Sanjay Saraogi said the party would conduct a detailed review of the reasons behind the defeat.

Elsewhere, the BJP retained Gujarat's Mangalpur assembly seat with a victory margin of over 30,000 votes.

However, the party also failed to gain ground in Madhya Pradesh, where the Congress retained the Datia assembly seat. The by-election was necessitated after the conviction of sitting MLA Rajendra Bhati in a criminal case.

Congress candidate Ghanshyam Singh defeated the BJP nominee after securing around 42% of the vote. Political observers also pointed to internal dissatisfaction within the BJP after former Home Minister Narottam Mishra was denied a ticket, leading to protests by some of his supporters.

Beyond the immediate electoral outcomes, the bypoll results have renewed discussion about the growing political influence of young voters.

Bihar has one of India's youngest electorates, with nearly 22.8% of voters falling in the 18–29 age group. Young voters are also expected to play a significant role in upcoming elections in states such as Punjab and Uttar Pradesh, where they account for more than one-fifth of the electorate.

Recent elections have also highlighted the importance of first-time and younger voters in shaping political outcomes.

Employment continues to remain one of the key concerns for this demographic. Although India's overall unemployment rate stood at 3.1% in 2025, the unemployment rate among people aged 15–29 was substantially higher.

A recent Deloitte survey also highlighted the financial challenges faced by Generation Z. According to the survey, 57% of Gen Z respondents said they had delayed major life decisions because of financial pressures, while 37% reported that home ownership remained unaffordable.

Political analysts say the bypoll outcomes underscore the importance of addressing issues that matter to young voters, including employment opportunities, financial security and economic aspirations, as parties prepare for future state and national elections.