The by-election to Bihar’s Bankipur Assembly constituency witnessed a voter turnout of 34.24 per cent on Thursday, with polling marked by relatively low participation, according to the Election Commission. The turnout was over seven per cent lower than the 41.45 per cent recorded during the Assembly elections held in November last year. The contest has drawn attention as Jan Suraaj Party founder Prashant Kishor made his electoral debut, taking on the BJP in a constituency it has held for decades. A total of 26 candidates, including BJP nominee Neeraj Kumar Sinha and RJD’s Rekha Gupta, are in the fray. The votes will be counted on August 3.