Highlights
- Prashant Kishor filed nomination papers for Bankipur bypolls.
- Kishor is seeking to wrest the BJP bastion vacated by Nitin Nabin.
- The bypoll to the seat will be held on July 30.
Political strategist-turned-politician and Jan Suraaj founder Prashant Kishor has declared assets worth more than Rs 96 crore in the affidavit submitted with his nomination papers for the Bankipur Assembly by-election in Bihar. Nominations for the July 30 bypoll were filed on Monday (July 13), with the Bankipur seat attracting significant attention as Prashant Kishor has entered the electoral fray himself. His nomination filing, along with that of Bharatiya Janata Party's candidate Neeraj Sinha, was accompanied by high political drama during the day.
According to the affidavit submitted before the Returning Officer, Prashant Kishor owns total movable and immovable assets worth more than Rs 96.06 crore.
His declaration shows:
- Movable assets: Rs 22.19 crore
- Immovable assets: Rs 73.87 crore
The affidavit also states that he has Rs 65,570 in cash.
100% stake in private company
The affidavit reveals that Prashant Kishor owns a 100 per cent stake in a private company. According to the declaration, the company donated Rs 85 crore to the Jan Suraaj Party and Rs 50 lakh to the Jan Suraaj Foundation.
Assets owned by Prashant Kishor's wife
The election affidavit also details the assets of Prashant Kishor's wife.
She owns:
- Movable assets: Rs 89.51 crore
- Immovable assets: Rs 12.42 crore
She also has Rs 1,95,200 in cash, as mentioned in the affidavit.
Educational qualifications
The affidavit provides details of Prashant Kishor's academic background.
He completed:
- Class 10 from M.P. High School, Buxar in 1991.
- Class 12 from Patna Science College in 1993.
- Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) from Lucknow University between 1996 and 1999.
- Master of Health Administration (MHA) from Hyderabad between 2001 and 2003.
The affidavit further states that in 2010, he studied the French language at CAVILAM, Vichy, an institution affiliated with the University of Clermont-Ferrand, France.
Why the disclosure matters
Election affidavits provide voters with important information about a candidate's financial status, educational qualifications and other statutory disclosures. Such declarations are mandatory under election rules and are intended to promote transparency in the electoral process.
Why is the Bankipur Assembly bypoll being held?
The Bankipur Assembly seat fell vacant after BJP leader Nitin Nabin resigned from the Assembly. Nitin Nabin had won the Bankipur seat by a comfortable margin as the BJP candidate in the 2025 Bihar Assembly elections. However, he later became a Rajya Sabha member and BJP national president and subsequently resigned as the MLA, necessitating the by-election.
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