BJP Slams RJD for Alleged Vote Transfer in Patna By-Election

: BJP IT chief Amit Malviya on Monday slammed the RJD, alleging that it appeared to have facilitated a transfer of votes to the Jan Suraj Party in an attempt to stop the BJP. Hours after Prashant Kishor was declared elected from Patna's Bankipur seat in the by-election, Malviya, in a post on X, said, "What unfolded in Bankipur should ring alarm bells for the RJD. In an attempt to stop the BJP, it appears to have facilitated a transfer of votes to the Jan Suraj Party". He further added, "History shows that when an established party creates space for an emerging challenger, it often ends up weakening itself more than its principal opponent". Citing historical examples, he said, "In 2011, the Congress stepped aside in West Bengal to help the Trinamool defeat the Left. The result? Trinamool grew, while the Congress was reduced to the margins". Malviya added, "The same mistake was repeated in Delhi. By ceding political space in the name of stopping the BJP, the Congress enabled AAP’s rise and eventually found itself reduced to barely 2% vote share". He also asserted, "That said, perspective is important. A by-election is primarily a local contest to elect an MLA, not a verdict on the next state government. There are several examples of this".