Patna: Counting of votes for the Bankipur Assembly by-election began on Monday morning at the AN College counting centre in Patna under tight security arrangements. Election officials have put extensive measures in place to ensure a transparent and peaceful counting process.

Only authorised officials, candidates and counting agents have been allowed inside the counting centre. Separate entry gates and strict security checks have been arranged throughout the day.

The Bankipur by-election has attracted statewide political attention, with all major parties closely monitoring the results.

Jan Suraaj founder and candidate *Prashant Kishor* has remained ahead since the initial rounds of counting. His lead has widened steadily with every round.

After the *13th round, Prashant Kishor secured **26,113 votes, leading BJP candidate **Neeraj Sinha* by *7,119 votes. RJD candidate **Rekha Kumari* remains in third place.

Earlier, after the 12th round, Kishor was leading by *6,646 votes* with *23,756 votes, while Neeraj Sinha had **17,110 votes. After the 11th round, Kishor's lead stood at **6,419 votes*.

By the 10th round, Kishor had received *20,059 votes, compared to **14,048* for the BJP candidate. A total of *185 voters* had chosen NOTA by that stage.

Prashant Kishor had also maintained the lead in the ninth, eighth, seventh and earlier rounds, showing consistent growth throughout the counting process.

Celebrations began at the Jan Suraaj party office after the seventh round as supporters expressed confidence in their candidate's performance.

A total of *25 candidates* are contesting the by-election. Counting is being conducted in *21 rounds* across *14 counting tables*. Postal ballots were counted first, followed by Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) votes.

The constituency recorded a voter turnout of *34.31%, with **130,234 voters* casting their ballots. The final result is expected after the completion of all counting rounds.