The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has named Neeraj Sinha as its candidate for the Bankipur Assembly by-election, replacing Abhishek Kumar Sinha ‘Bunty’, who withdrew from the contest citing family reasons.
The announcement came shortly after Abhishek Kumar Sinha formally informed BJP Bihar president Sanjay Saraogi that he would not contest the election. He also withdrew his nomination after filing it only a day earlier.
Withdrawal After Filing Nomination
In his letter to the state BJP chief, Bunty said family circumstances had made it impossible for him to contest the election.
He, however, affirmed his commitment to the party, stating that he would continue to work as a dedicated BJP worker.
His decision came unexpectedly after he had filed his nomination on Thursday. The filing was followed by a public meeting attended by Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary.
The nomination process for the Bankipur by-election remains open until July 13.
Multi-Cornered Contest Taking Shape
The Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) has fielded Rekha Gupta, who also filed her nomination on Thursday.
Prashant Kishor, founder of the Jan Suraaj Party, is scheduled to file his nomination on July 13.
Candidates from other political parties and independents are also expected to enter the race before the nomination deadline.
Affidavit Details
Election affidavits submitted before Bunty’s withdrawal showed contrasting financial profiles among the leading candidates.
RJD candidate Rekha Gupta and her husband declared movable and immovable assets worth more than Rs 8 crore, while also disclosing liabilities exceeding Rs 3 crore.
In contrast, Bunty declared that neither he, his wife nor their dependent son owned any land, house or flat. His affidavit also stated that no criminal cases were pending against him.
