BJP Candidate Withdrawal Sparks Political Tension in Bihar

The Jan Suraaj Party has claimed that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is intimidated by its founder, Prashant Kishor, following the withdrawal of BJP candidate Abhishek Kumar Sinha from the upcoming Bankipur Assembly bypoll in Bihar. In a post on the social media platform X, Jan Suraaj remarked, "Prashant Kishor se dari BJP ne chhoda maidan" (BJP, frightened of Prashant Kishor, abandons the battlefield).

Abhishek Kumar Sinha announced his decision to withdraw just a day after filing his nomination papers, citing family commitments. In a press conference in Patna, Sinha expressed his gratitude to the central and state leadership but stated, "Due to family reasons, I am unable to contest the bypoll."

Prior to this decision, Sinha had been designated as the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) candidate for the Bankipur seat, which became vacant after the resignation of BJP national president Nitin Nabin. The party has subsequently chosen Neeraj Kumar Sinha as its new candidate to compete against Kishor in the bypoll scheduled for July 30.

Also running in the election is Rekha Kumari from the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD). Prashant Kishor declared his candidacy for the Bankipur seat, framing the election as a "referendum" on the performance of the BJP-led government in Bihar.

During a meeting with party members in Patna, he urged voters in the constituency, with a population of nearly four lakh, to "vote for making a difference." The deadline for submitting nominations is set for July 13, with voting taking place on July 30 and counting on August 3.

Kishor aims to take the seat previously held by Nitin Nabin, who was elected five consecutive times. He has pointed out that the BJP has historically regarded Bankipur as one of their strongholds. Kishor noted that Union Home Minister Amit Shah did not relinquish his seat in the Gujarat Legislative Assembly after becoming the BJP president, implying that Nabin's resignation was unnecessary.

Kishor insisted, "Yes, I know that the BJP regards Bankipur as its stronghold. Voters here have repeatedly placed their trust in Nitin Nabin. However, Nitin Nabin abandoned the seat at the first opportunity to enter Parliament."

He further challenged the BJP's rationale behind Nabin's resignation by referencing Amit Shah's continued membership in the state assembly while leading the party. Kishor stated that Nabin could have chosen to retain his position in Bihar, instead of transitioning to Delhi immediately after being elected to the Rajya Sabha in April. This statement highlights the political tension as the bypoll approaches, with Kishor positioning his campaign against the backdrop of the BJP's strategy.