Writing the political obituary of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Bihar would be premature. Yet, the Bankipur by-election has sounded an unmistakable warning. Prashant Kishor's victory is less a tribute to his political prowess than an indictment of the BJP's complacency, arrogance and growing disconnect with the youth.
For a party that had held this prestigious Patna constituency continuously since 1995, the defeat was stunning. Kishor won by more than 19,000 votes, while the Rashtriya Janata Dal secured over 14,000 votes, underscoring the scale of the anti-BJP sentiment.
The BJP had become so confident of retaining the seat that it persuaded its sitting MLA, Nitin Nabin, to resign and move to the Rajya Sabha after his elevation as the party's national president.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself publicly described Nabin as his "boss". The electorate, however, refused to endorse what appeared to be an exercise in political entitlement.
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