PATNA — Jan Suraaj Party founder Prashant Kishor announced on Sunday that his party has formally lodged a complaint with the Election Commission of India (ECI) against the Patna police, accusing authorities of illegally detaining party leaders and supporters during the Bankipur assembly byelection at the behest of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Addressing a press conference alongside affected local residents, Kishor stated that 54 people were taken into custody across two days leading up to Thursday’s vote.
Kishor directly challenged the official narrative provided by Patna Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Kartikeya K Sharma, who claimed that non-local individuals were preventively detained during the mandatory 48-hour silence period to preserve law and order. Countering those claims, Kishor presented evidence demonstrating that at least 18 of the detainees were long-time local residents of Bankipur who were picked up from their homes late at night. He argued that individuals sleeping inside their residences could not possibly violate Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) or threaten local peace.
Characterising the Patna SSP’s actions as biased and incompetent, the Jan Suraaj chief alleged that the local administration engaged in a targeted crackdown on his campaign staff while completely ignoring BJP personnel who were actively directing police operations. He added that following party representation, senior police officials assured that the Patna SSP would have no oversight role in the counting centers scheduled for Monday, August 3. Local residents accompanied Kishor to detail their night-time detentions and harassment by police officers and rival political workers.
Kishor emphasized that complaints have been submitted to the general observer, police observer, and the ECI, warning that his party will take the matter to the Supreme Court if central authorities fail to address administrative overreach in Bihar. The Bankipur assembly seat, long considered a traditional BJP stronghold, saw polling conclude on July 30, with vote counting set to determine whether Kishor’s electoral debut will unseat the ruling coalition’s influence in urban Patna.
