BJP bids to stave off JSP, RJD challenge as campaigning ends for Bankipur byelection
Candidates make final push to secure the seat in Bihar vacated by BJP national president Nitin Nabin following his election to the Rajya Sabha in April
As campaigning concluded for the Bankipur Assembly byelection in Bihar on July 30, candidates intensified their efforts to secure the seat vacated by BJP national president Nitin Nabin. The BJP, led by 32-year-old Neeraj Kumar Sinha, made a concerted effort to retain the constituency, while the Jan Suraaj Party (JSP), founded by 49-year-old Prashant Kishor, contested for the first time.
The opposition Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) nominated Rekha Kumari, who finished second in the previous Assembly election, which BJP's Nitin Nabin won by a margin of over 50,000 votes. With around 25 candidates vying for the seat, the contest primarily pitted the BJP against the JSP. The Bankipur constituency boasts nearly four lakh voters, with the Kayasth and Yadav communities comprising nearly 25% of the electorate, while Muslims and Chandravanshis have around 20% representation.
Other communities, including Vaishya, Dalit, Bhumihar, Rajput, Brahmin, Kurmi, and Kushwaha, each hold between 3% and 8% of the vote. During the BJP's candidate roadshow, Meethapur trader Sanjay Gupta emphasized that the voters were not focused on caste but the candidate's merit. JSP leader Prashant Kishor addressed public meetings in Peermuhani, Sabzibagh, and Jai Prakash Nagar, urging voters to consider their children's future when casting their votes.
Nabin will be in Patna on voting day, though he is not a voter in the Bankipur constituency. Results will be announced on August 3.
Written by urgent.news from The Hindu's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — it may contain errors, so check the original before relying on it.
