In a surprise development ahead of the Bankipur Assembly by-election in Bihar, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has replaced its candidate after Abhishek Kumar Sinha, also known as Bunty, withdrew his nomination a day after filing his papers, citing "family reasons".
Sinha announced his decision at the BJP's state headquarters in Patna on Friday. Although he did not elaborate on the circumstances behind his withdrawal, he said personal and family considerations had prompted him to step aside from the contest.
"The BJP had made me the NDA candidate for the bypoll to the Bankipur assembly seat. I express my gratitude to the central and state leadership. However, due to family reasons, I am unable to contest the bypoll," Abhishek Kumar Sinha told the reporters during a press conference in Patna.
After the withdrawal, the BJP quickly named Neeraj Kumar Sinha, who is 32, as its new candidate for the high-profile bypoll.
This move came just hours after Abhishek Kumar Sinha's exit, allowing the party to maintain its campaign momentum in a constituency that has emerged as one of the most closely watched electoral battles in the state.
The Bankipur by-election has attracted significant political eyeballs after Jan Suraaj founder Prashant Kishor entered the fray.
Kishor, making a high-profile electoral debut from the BJP stronghold, has described his decision to contest from Bankipur as an attempt to promote issue-based politics rather than seeking an easier electoral contest.
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Earlier this week, the BJP had announced Abhishek Kumar Sinha as its candidate. He filed his nomination papers on Thursday in the presence of former Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad and several prominent leaders of the NDA alliance.
The July 30 bypoll is heading for a multi-cornered contest with the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) fielding Rekha Kumari while Prashant Kishor is representing Jan Suraaj Party. Ballots will be counted Aug. 3.
The BJP's fast replacement of its candidate underlines the importance it attaches to holding on to the Bankipur seat, which has become a major political battleground in Bihar ahead of the state assembly elections.
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