Delhi, August 3: Jan Suraaj Party founder Prashant Kishor pulled off a monumental political upset in the high-stakes Bankipur Assembly by-election after a commanding win over BJP candidate Neeraj Kumar Sinha.

As per trend by the afternoon, Jan Suraaj candidate Prashant Kishor continued to dominate the Bankipur Assembly by-election on Monday, maintaining a comfortable lead after 24 of the 31 counting rounds.

According to the latest trends by the 24 round, Kishor secured 48,343 votes, leading BJP candidate Neeraj Kumar Singh by 13,868 votes. Sinha stood second with 34,566 votes, while RJD candidate Rekha Guptrailed in third with 11,197 votes.

Kishor has remained ahead in every round of counting so far, steadily widening his margin. His sustained lead sparked celebrations among Jan Suraaj supporters, who were seen dancing, playing music and smearing each other with gulal outside the counting centre.

In contrast, the atmosphere at the Bihar BJP headquarters in Patna remained subdued. Only a handful of party workers were present outside the office, with security personnel outnumbering supporters, as counting trends continued to favour the Jan Suraaj candidate.

The outcome has surprised many BJP workers, as Bankipur has long been considered a BJP stronghold. The bypoll was necessitated by the resignation of former BJP MLA Nitin Nabin.

The election is also politically significant as it is the first Assembly by-election in Bihar since Samrat Chaudhary assumed office as Chief Minister. The NDA had earlier suffered a setback in a Legislative Council by-election, making the Bankipur contest closely watched.

Polling for the by-election was held on July 30, that completed this afternoon after counting conducted in 31 rounds.

While the final result is yet to be formally declared by the ECI, Prashant Kishor is going to have a thumping victory in a first in the Assembly election, as an ace political strategist.