BJP names Neeraj Kumar Sinha for Bihar's Bankipur, Ashutosh Tiwari for MP's Datia Assembly bypolls
Patna, July 10
The Bharatiya Janata Party on Friday announced Neeraj Kumar Sinha as its candidate for the Bankipur Assembly by-election in Bihar and Ashutosh Tiwari as its nominee for the Datia Assembly seat in Madhya Pradesh, after the party's originally announced Bankipur candidate, Abhishek Kumar Sinha, withdrew from the contest citing family reasons.
Following the announcement, Bihar party President Sanjay Saraogi felicitated Neeraj Kumar Sinha at the party office in Patna.
Expressing gratitude to the party leadership, Neeraj Kumar Sinha said he was confident of securing a decisive victory in the bypoll.
"I am overjoyed. I am deeply grateful to the top leadership, the state president, our leader Nitin Nabin ji, as well as Amit Shah ji and Narendra Modi ji. I am grateful to them all. I started as a booth mantri; I served as a mandal president twice and also worked as a district vice-president in the Yuva Morcha. I am certain of a massive victory. Working together with all the party workers and the general public--who are going to shower their blessings on the Bankipur constituency--we will succeed. People will vote based on the work done by our leadership," he said.
Earlier in the day, BJP leader Abhishek Kumar Sinha announced that he would not contest the Bankipur Assembly by-election, citing family reasons.
Addressing reporters in Patna, Abhishek Kumar Sinha said, "...due to family reasons, I am unable to contest the Assembly by-election. I will continue to serve faithfully as a party worker."
Reading out the letter he submitted to the Bihar BJP president, he said, "I have just handed a letter to State President, Sanjay Saraogi, which I am now reading out before you. The Bharatiya Janata Party had selected me as the NDA candidate for the by-election in the Bankipur Assembly constituency. I express my gratitude to the central and state leadership for this. I wish to humbly inform you that, due to family reasons, I am unable to contest the Assembly by-election. I will continue to serve faithfully as a party worker."
The BJP subsequently named Neeraj Kumar Sinha as its candidate for the Bankipur Assembly bypoll, while announcing Ashutosh Tiwari as its nominee for the Datia Assembly by-election in Madhya Pradesh.
On July 2, the Election Commission of India (ECI) announced the schedule for bypolls to three Assembly Constituencies in Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, and Gujarat, which includes the high-profile seats of Bankipur, Datia, and Manjalpur.
The last date for filing nominations was fixed as July 13 (Monday), with the scrutiny of the nomination papers scheduled to take place on July 14 (Tuesday).
Candidates will have until July 16 (Thursday) to withdraw their candidatures. The polling for the three assembly seats in Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, and Gujarat will be conducted on July 30 (Thursday), while the counting of votes is slated for August 3 (Monday).
— ANI
Reader Comments
Family reasons for stepping down? In politics, that usually means internal pressure. But I hope Abhishek Sinha's decision is genuine. Nitin Nabin ji's leadership will be tested here.
This is routine stuff! Byelections happen all the time. The real test is the general election. But good luck to both candidates. The NDA needs to maintain its winning streak.
I hope the new candidate focuses on local issues like potholes, water supply, and education. We need leaders who work for the common man, not just big promises. Let's see what Neeraj Sinha brings to the table.
The timing is interesting - just after the ECI announced the schedule. Family reasons are always a convenient excuse. But I trust the party's second choice. Neeraj Sinha seems like a dedicated worker.
It's a smart move by BJP to field a grassroots worker. Neeraj Sinha's journey from booth mantri to candidate shows the party values hard work. Datia too seems strong with Tiwari. The NDA wave continues! 🚩
Interesting to see how quickly the BJP replaced the candidate. In democracies, this can happen. I hope
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