Patna (ABN): In a surprise move, the BJP has replaced its earlier candidate Abhisek Kumar 'Banti' with Neeraj Kumar Sinha as its new candidate for the by-election to the Bankipore assembly seat. The decision came after Abhisek Kumar Banti had already filed his nomination papers, sparking various speculations in political circles. Abhisek Kumar Banti is considered a close associate of BJP national president Nityanand Rai. The party had nominated him as its candidate for the by-election a few days ago, and he had filed his nomination in the presence of senior party leaders on Thursday.

However, on Friday, he suddenly announced his decision not to contest the election, citing personal and family reasons. He informed BJP state president Sanjay Saraogi about his withdrawal through a letter and reiterated his stance while talking to journalists. Immediately after, the BJP nominated Neeraj Kumar Sinha as its official candidate from Bankipore. Neeraj Kumar Sinha is a resident of Methapur and has graduated in arts. He has been associated with the BJP's organizational activities for a long time. According to the party, he became a primary member in 2006 and has held various organizational responsibilities, including booth president, mandal general secretary, Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha district vice president, and mandal president twice. He is currently the president of the Narendra Bharti Mandal.

The Bankipore assembly seat was vacated after the resignation of BJP national president and former minister Nityanand Rai, necessitating the by-election. Initially, the party had nominated Nityanand Rai's close associate Abhisek Kumar Banti as its candidate, but his sudden withdrawal and replacement have intensified political activities. This by-election has gained special significance as Prashant Kishor, the founder of Jan Suraj Party and election strategist, is also in the fray from this seat. He has been conducting a public outreach campaign in the constituency and meeting voters. On the other hand, the Rashtriya Janata Dal has nominated Reka Gupta, who was also a candidate against Nityanand Rai in the previous assembly election.

As per the election schedule, voting for the Bankipore assembly seat will take place on July 30, and the counting of votes will be done on August 3. The last date for filing nomination papers is July 13. The BJP's last-minute change of candidate has made the by-election more interesting, and all eyes are now on the next phase of the election campaign.