Patna, July 10: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has changed its candidate for the Bankipur Assembly by-election in Bihar. The initially announced candidate, Abhishek Kumar Sinha, has withdrawn his nomination, leading the party to select Neeraj Kumar as the new candidate.
Neeraj Kumar expressed gratitude for the trust placed in him by the party leadership. He stated that he will work alongside all party workers under the guidance of National President Nitin Nawin to contest the election.
In a media interaction, Neeraj Kumar remarked, “The party leadership has given me this opportunity. I will carry forward their work and collaborate with all party workers for the election. I see no challenge in this.”
BJP’s state president Sanjay Sarawagi congratulated Neeraj Kumar on being named the new candidate for Bankipur.
The decision to change candidates has sparked political debates. Shakti Singh Yadav, the chief spokesperson for the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), commented that Abhishek was the BJP-NDA candidate and was affiliated with the BJP’s youth wing. He noted that it became apparent to the public that Abhishek was close to BJP President Nitin Nawin.
Yadav added that the entire community, including the Vaishya, minority, and backward families, has united against the BJP. He claimed that this has shaken the party’s foundation. Progressive members of society have decided not to vote for the inflation-ridden BJP this time. They believe the party has failed to secure Patna and have resolved to support RJD candidate Rekha Gupta, who symbolizes women’s empowerment.
Abhishek Kumar cited family reasons for his withdrawal. In response, Shakti Singh questioned whether his parents were unwell, implying that there were no valid family reasons for the withdrawal. Regarding Neeraj Kumar’s candidacy, he stated that anyone could be nominated.
Prashant Kishor, leader of the Jan Suraj Party, criticized the BJP, saying that just two days prior, they claimed Bankipur was their stronghold and that any candidate they fielded would win. He suggested that the public would now assess the capability of the new candidate.
He further remarked that the BJP is in a dilemma about whom to field for this seat. Party leaders, workers, and voters are reluctant to accept that someone like Samrat Chaudhary has been made Chief Minister.
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