Bihar: Prashant Kishor, BJP's Neeraj Sinha file nomination papers for Bankipur bypoll

Political strategist Prashant Kishor and the Bharatiya Janata Party's Neeraj Kumar Sinha formally entered the race for the Bankipur assembly seat by-election in Bihar on Monday, filing their nomination papers. Kishor, the founder of the Jan Suraaj Party, is making his electoral debut in this contest.

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This is not just my naamankan (nomination) but a call for a political change in Bihar where people with criminal records must give up their chair.

Kishor has positioned the by-election as a significant political statement, calling it a "referendum" on the performance of the current NDA government in Bihar. He has vowed to unseat the BJP from this stronghold, which was vacated by the party's national president, Nitin Nabin. Kishor also stated that his victory would pressure Samrat Choudhary, the state's first BJP chief minister, to resign, referencing a murder case from the 1990s.

Accompanying Kishor during his nomination filing was his wife, Jahnavi Das. Sinha, a 32-year-old Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha leader, was fielded by the BJP after their initial candidate, Abhishek Kumar "Bunty," unexpectedly withdrew his nomination citing personal reasons just days after filing. The BJP's decision to field Sinha was described as a hurried one by local reports.

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BJP is scared of Prashant Kishor

Kishor arrived at the collectorate accompanied by a large procession and had previously addressed a public meeting. The BJP's campaign for Sinha saw support from prominent leaders, including local MP Ravi Shankar Prasad and state president Sanjay Saraogi. The withdrawal of Abhishek Kumar has added a layer of intrigue to the by-election, with Kishor himself having previously criticized the BJP for not fielding a candidate with sufficient caliber and suggesting Abhishek Sinha had "run away."

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No candidate of calibre for Bankipur bypoll: Prashant Kishor attacks BJP, says Abhishek Sinha ‘ran away’