'BJP fears losing': Prashant Kishor alleges supporters picked up before bypoll
Prashant Kishor, founder of the Jan Suraaj Party, has accused the ruling BJP of detaining his supporters to influence the outcome of the Bankipur bypoll in Bihar. He claims the police are acting under political pressure as the BJP fears losing the seat.
Why it matters
The allegations highlight intense political competition and concerns regarding the integrity of administrative machinery during local elections in India.
PATNA: Jan Suraaj Party founder Prashant Kishor on Thursday alleged that the Bihar Police had picked up several of his supporters at the behest of the ruling BJP, claiming it "fears losing the Bankipur assembly bypoll."Making his electoral debut from the Bankipur seat, Kishor made the allegation just hours before voting was set to begin in the bypoll, which was necessitated by BJP president Nitin Nabin's resignation. "I have been camping here for the past few hours, and the police is unable to divulge whereabouts of more than 16 of my supporters who have been rounded up, " Kishor told PTI."I am not describing these as arrests since there is no record of which of my people have been named in which case. I came to this police station after learning that they had been kept at the Jakkanpur police station.
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