Prashant Kishor Enters Bihar By-Election with Impressive Wealth Declaration
Political Buzz Surrounds Bihar's Bankipur By-Election
The political atmosphere in Bihar's high-profile Bankipur assembly by-election has reached a fever pitch following the announcement by Prashant Kishor, founder of the Jan Suraj Party, to contest the elections. His nomination, submitted to the returning officer, revealed astonishing details about his financial assets. According to the affidavit, Kishor claims to possess over ₹96 crores in total assets, but notably, his wife Jahnvi Das surpasses him in wealth.
Nomination Day Highlights
The nominations for the by-election scheduled for July 30 were filed on Monday, July 13. All eyes are on the Bankipur seat as Kishor steps into the electoral fray. The day was marked by significant political activity, especially during the filing of nominations by Kishor and the Bharatiya Janata Party's candidate Neeraj Sinha. The affidavit submitted indicates that Kishor's total movable and immovable assets exceed ₹96.06 crores.
Asset Breakdown
According to his declaration:
Movable Assets: ₹22.19 crores
Immovable Assets: ₹73.87 crores
The affidavit also states that he has ₹65,570 in cash.
Ownership in Private Company
The affidavit reveals that Kishor holds a 100% stake in a private company. The declaration mentions that the company has donated ₹85 crores to the Jan Suraj Party and ₹50 lakhs to the Jan Suraj Foundation.
Wealth of Prashant Kishor's Wife
The election affidavit also details the assets of Kishor's wife.
Movable Assets: ₹89.51 crores
Immovable Assets: ₹12.42 crores
According to the affidavit, she has ₹1,95,200 in cash.
Educational Background
The affidavit outlines Kishor's educational qualifications.
His educational journey includes:
Completed 10th grade in 1991 from Buxar High School.
Completed 12th grade from Patna Science College in 1993.
Earned a Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) from Lucknow University between 1996 and 1999.
Pursued a Master of Health Administration (MHA) from Hyderabad from 2001 to 2003.
In 2010, he studied French at CAVILAM, Vichy, affiliated with the University of Clermont-Ferrand in France.
Importance of Financial Declarations
Election affidavits provide voters with crucial insights into a candidate's financial status, educational qualifications, and other essential legal information. Such disclosures are mandated by election regulations to promote transparency in the electoral process.
Reason for the Bankipur By-Election
The Bankipur assembly seat became vacant after BJP leader Nitin Nabin resigned from the assembly. Nabin had won the Bankipur seat by a significant margin in the 2025 Bihar assembly elections. However, he later became a Rajya Sabha member and the national president of the BJP, leading to his resignation from the legislative assembly and necessitating the by-election.