The Bharatiya Janata Party replaced its nominee for the Bankipur Assembly by-election in Bihar one day after the nomination deadline. It withdrew the candidature of Abhishek Bunty and selected Neeraj Kumar Sinha instead.
Bunty had submitted his papers on Thursday alongside senior alliance figures. He had sought his parents’ blessings beforehand, and a public event followed with Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary and other leaders present.
On Friday evening Bunty informed Bihar BJP president Sanjay Saraogi of his withdrawal. At a subsequent press conference he cited family reasons without further details.
The party then named Neeraj Kumar Sinha as its new candidate. Choudhary offered congratulations and best wishes for the campaign.
Sinha, a Patna resident, joined the BJP in 2006 and has served in several local roles including booth president, Mandal general secretary and district vice-president of the youth wing. He is currently in his second term as president of Narendra Bharti Mandal.
His family has long links to the party’s ideological roots; his late uncle Narendra Bharti worked for Jan Sangh, after whom the local unit is named.
Congress criticised the switch, with spokesperson Rajesh Rathore claiming the BJP acted because it expected a tough contest. The party offered no further explanation beyond the family reasons cited. The by-election is drawing close attention as major parties step up campaigning.
