Polling began Wednesday for the Bankipur assembly by-election in Bihar, with all eyes on the contest between poll strategist-turned-politician Prashant Kishor and the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) Neeraj Kumar Sinha. Counting of votes is scheduled for August 3. Hours before polling, Kishor alleged that Bihar Police detained his supporters. Kishor, who founded the Jan Suraaj Party, claimed the ruling BJP fears losing the seat and orchestrated the detentions to influence the election. He stated that police could not reveal the whereabouts of over sixteen detained supporters. Kishor also accused the BJP of using administrative machinery and a fake video to sway voters. He vowed to take action against erring police officials after the bypoll. The allegations come amid a high-stakes battle in the constituency, which Kishor is contesting as part of his political debut. The BJP has not yet responded to the claims. The bypoll was necessitated after the sitting MLA resigned.