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https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/aug/04/india-bjp-rare-byelection-loss-cockroach-student-protests>
"India’s ruling Bharatiya Janata party has lost a byelection in a seat it had
held for three decades, after the Cockroach movement student protests that have
shaken Narendra Modi’s government.
Prashant Kishor, a high-profile electoral strategist turned politician, scored
a breakthrough win for his fledgling Jan Suraaj (Good Governance) party in the
Bankipur constituency in Patna, the capital of the eastern state of Bihar.
The byelection, in what had been considered a BJP stronghold, was closely
watched because it came in the aftermath of nationwide student protests over
exam paper leaks that forced the resignation of the education minister, a rare
retreat by a government that prides itself on not yielding to public pressure.
Kishor said his victory was a wake-up call for Modi to improve education and
create jobs.
The BJP lost two of three byelection contests this week, with the opposition
Congress retaining the Datia constituency in central Madhya Pradesh. The BJP
comfortably held Manjalpur in Gujarat, Modi’s home state.
Kishor’s supporters said his campaign had succeeded by focusing on issues that
resonated with younger voters, particularly education, exams scandals and
unemployment.
Deepak Sharma, a former BJP supporter, told the Hindu newspaper: “Unlike other
political leaders who make lofty promises, he raised the simple slogan: vote
for the future of your children.”"
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
