BJP swaps Bankipur bypoll candidate to Neeraj Sinha after Abhishek's withdrawal

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had initially nominated Abhishek Kumar Sinha (known as “Bunty”) for the Bankipur assembly by‑election in Bihar, a seat traditionally held by the party and vacated after national president Nitin Nabin moved to the Rajya Sabha. Within a day of filing his nomination, Bunty announced he was withdrawing, citing family reasons. Media reports linked the move to concerns over his father's involvement in the historic fodder scam and discrepancies in Bunty’s declared educational qualifications, prompting the party high command to act quickly to avoid a credibility issue.

The BJP subsequently announced Neeraj Kumar Sinha, a 32‑year‑old long‑time organiser who has held several roles in the BJP’s youth wing, as its new candidate. Neeraj will contest the by‑poll against Jan Suraaj founder Prashant Kishor, who is making his electoral debut, and Rashtriya Janata Dal’s Rekha Gupta/Kumari. Nominations close on 13 July, polling is scheduled for 30 July and the vote count in early August. The rapid candidate change is being viewed as damage‑control to preserve the party’s stronghold in the constituency.