The political battle for Bihar’s prestigious Bankipur Assembly by-election intensified on Tuesday after Jan Suraaj founder Prashant Kishor accused the BJP-led NDA of circulating an AI-generated video of former Chief Minister Nitish Kumar to influence voters ahead of polling. The allegation has added a fresh controversy to one of the state’s most closely watched electoral contests.
Making his electoral debut, Kishor questioned the authenticity of the campaign video released by the NDA and challenged the ruling alliance to prove that Nitish Kumar had personally recorded the message.
Prashant Kishor Questions Authenticity of Campaign Video
Addressing reporters during the final phase of campaigning, Kishor claimed the video was created using artificial intelligence and alleged that Nitish Kumar had never recorded the appeal.
“It doesn’t matter, people of Bankipur have made up their minds, but I want to say that a video of Nitish Kumar came, a video appeal was released by the NDA. The video is fake, it was made with AI. He has made no such statement. This is the state of the BJP, fearing loss, they released this video,” Kishor said.
He further escalated the challenge by declaring that he would withdraw from the election if the BJP established that the video was genuine.
“I challenge the BJP, get it confirmed by Nitish ji. If they prove them to be correct, I will take back my candidature two days before the by-election. The BJP has already lost, the question is by what margin,” he added.
The BJP has not publicly responded to Kishor’s allegations.
Bankipur Turns Into Prestige Battle
The by-election has emerged as a major political contest after BJP national president Nitin Nabin vacated the seat following his election to the Rajya Sabha.
Traditionally regarded as one of the BJP’s strongest urban constituencies, Bankipur has become a high-profile battlefield with Prashant Kishor entering the electoral arena for the first time.
The BJP initially nominated Abhishek Kumar Sinha but later replaced him with BJP Yuva Morcha leader Neeraj Kumar Sinha after the former withdrew from the race citing personal reasons.
The Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) has fielded Rekha Kumari Gupta, while several other candidates are also in the fray. However, political observers view the contest as primarily a direct fight between the BJP and Jan Suraaj.
Final Campaign Push Before Voting
The AI video controversy surfaced during the final hours of campaigning, with all major parties making an aggressive push to mobilise voters before polling.
The NDA released the video appeal as part of its last-minute outreach campaign, urging voters to back its candidate. Kishor, however, insisted the clip was digitally fabricated and accused the BJP of attempting to mislead the electorate.
Social Arithmetic Could Shape Outcome
The Bankipur constituency has nearly four lakh voters and a diverse social composition, with Kayasths, Yadavs, Muslims, Chandravanshis, Vaishyas, Dalits, Rajputs, Brahmins, Kurmis, Kushwahas and Bhumihars all playing significant roles in determining the electoral outcome.
While the BJP has historically maintained a strong base in the constituency, Kishor has sought to position his campaign around governance and development, making the contest more competitive than previous elections.
Voting for the Bankipur Assembly by-election is scheduled for July 30, while counting of votes will take place on August 3. With allegations of AI-generated campaign material now entering the political discourse, the contest has gained attention far beyond a routine bypoll.
