Patna: BJP’s newly announced candidate for the Bankipur Assembly by-election, Neeraj Kumar Sinha, has begun his campaign activities ahead of filing his nomination papers.
On Saturday morning, Sinha met Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary at the Chief Minister’s official residence and sought his blessings. He later met Deputy Chief Minister Vijay Kumar Choudhary. BJP state president Sanjay Saraogi accompanied Sinha during both meetings.
The Chief Minister shared a photograph of the meeting on social media platform X, congratulating Sinha on his candidature and extending his best wishes for what he described as a historic victory in the by-election.
Candidate Steps Into the Spotlight
Neeraj Kumar Sinha emerged as the BJP’s surprise choice for the Bankipur seat after the party replaced its earlier candidate, Abhishek Bunty.
A long-time BJP organisational worker, Sinha currently serves as a BJP Mandal President. He has previously held positions as Mandal General Secretary and District Vice-President of the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM).
According to the BJP, Sinha’s family has been associated with the party since the Jana Sangh era. A party Mandal has been named after his uncle, Narendra Bhari. Sinha joined the BJP in 2006.
Opposition Targets BJP Over Candidate Change
The BJP’s decision to change its candidate has triggered political reactions from rival parties.
Jan Suraaj founder and Bankipur candidate Prashant Kishor criticised the move, claiming the BJP had retreated by replacing its nominee. He said that while people once feared the BJP, the party itself was now “running away.”
The Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) also questioned the decision, describing it as a sign that the BJP had accepted defeat before the election. The party alleged that the candidate was changed after the BJP assessed public support for its rival, Rekha Gupta.
The Bankipur Assembly by-election is expected to witness a multi-cornered contest, with political parties intensifying campaign activities ahead of the nomination process.
