BJP Replaces Candidate Against Prashant Kishor For Bypoll In Bihar's Bankipur
The BJP has replaced its candidate for the Bankipur assembly bypoll in Bihar after the original nominee, Abhishek Kumar Sinha, withdrew citing family reasons. The party has selected youth leader Neeraj Kumar Sinha to contest the seat against Jan Suraaj Party founder Prashant Kishor.
Why it matters
The bypoll is a high-stakes contest as the BJP seeks to retain a seat it has held since 1995 against the entry of political strategist Prashant Kishor.
In an abrupt development, the BJP on Friday named youth wing leader Neeraj Kumar Sinha as its candidate for the bypoll to the Bankipur assembly seat in Bihar, after nominee Abhishek Kumar Sinha pulled out citing "family reasons".Abhishek Kumar Sinha, popularly known as Bunty, who is a vice-president of the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha's state unit, expressed his inability to contest the bypoll a day after filing nomination papers, causing the opposition to chuckle that the ruling party was "jittery at the prospects of a defeat" in the seat vacated by BJP national president Nitin Nabin.Addressing a press conference, where he took no questions, Abhishek Kumar Sinha said, "Because of family reasons, I am unable to contest the bypoll. But I will continue to work for the party as a committed worker. I have conveyed the same to state president Sanjay Saraogi."
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