BJP Replaces Bankipur Bypoll Candidate As Abhishek Kumar Sinha Withdraws Nomination

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has changed its candidate for the upcoming Bankipur Assembly bypoll in Bihar after its original nominee, Abhishek Kumar Sinha, withdrew his candidature a day after filing his nomination papers. The party has now fielded Neeraj Kumar Sinha, a long-time party worker, against Jan Suraaj founder Prashant Kishor.

Abhishek Kumar Sinha announced his decision at a press conference in Patna on Friday, stating that he was unable to contest the election due to family reasons. He thanked the BJP's central and state leadership for reposing faith in him and said he had informed Bihar BJP president Sanjay Saraogi of his decision.

"The BJP had made me the NDA candidate for the Bankipur Assembly bypoll. I am grateful to the party leadership, but due to family reasons, I will not be able to contest the election," Sinha said.

The BJP had announced Abhishek Kumar Sinha's candidature earlier this week for the seat, which fell vacant after BJP national president Nitin Nabin resigned as the Member of the Legislative Assembly from Bankipur.

Following his withdrawal, the party moved quickly to nominate Neeraj Kumar Sinha as its official candidate. According to the BJP, the 32-year-old has been associated with the party since 2006 and has held several organisational positions, including booth president and district vice-president of the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM). The party described him as a dedicated grassroots worker with long-standing organisational experience.

The bypoll has attracted considerable political attention because Jan Suraaj founder Prashant Kishor is making a high-profile electoral debut from the constituency. The contest is expected to serve as a significant political test for Kishor's party, which has sought to establish itself as an alternative force in Bihar politics.

The Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) has also entered the contest by fielding Rekha Kumari, making the bypoll a triangular contest among the BJP, Jan Suraaj and the RJD.

Soon after the BJP announced the change in candidate, Jan Suraaj sought to portray the move as a political setback for the ruling party. In a post on social media platform X, the party claimed the BJP had changed its nominee because it was "scared" of Prashant Kishor. The BJP has not responded to the allegation.

The Election Commission has scheduled polling for the Bankipur Assembly bypoll on July 30, while the counting of votes will take place on August 3. The last date for filing nominations is July 13, giving political parties limited time to finalise their campaigns.