Prashant Kishor and BJP File Nominations for Bankipur Bypoll

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) replaced its original candidate for the Bankipur Assembly bypoll in Bihar after Abhishek Kumar Sinha withdrew, citing family reasons. Internal party reviews revealed concerns over Abhishek Kumar's parents' convictions in a fodder scam investigated by the Central Bureau of Investigation. The BJP subsequently nominated 32-year-old Neeraj Kumar Sinha, who filed his nomination papers on July 13 accompanied by party leaders Ravi Shankar Prasad and Sanjay Saraogi.

Jan Suraaj Party founder Prashant Kishor also filed his nomination on July 13, marking his electoral debut. Kishor framed his candidacy as a referendum on the NDA government and a call to oust leaders with criminal records from power. In his election affidavit, Kishor disclosed eight pending criminal cases without convictions and reported significant assets, though figures varied across reports, with one filing indicating a total family net worth exceeding ₹208 crore. His affidavit also noted that a company he owns donated ₹85 crore to the Jan Suraaj Party during the 2024–25 financial year.

The bypoll was triggered after BJP national president Nitin Nabin vacated the seat to join the Rajya Sabha. Other contestants include Rekha Gupta of the Rashtriya Janata Dal and Veena Manvi of the Jan Janata Dal, the latter of whom was arrested by Patna police shortly after filing her nomination. Polling is scheduled for July 30, with results announced on August 3.