Prashant Kishor Files Nomination for Bankipur Bypoll, Takes on BJP's Neeraj Kumar Sinha

Prashant Kishor , founder of the Jan Suraaj Party , and BJP candidate Neeraj Kumar Sinha on Monday filed their nomination papers for the Bankipur Assembly bypoll in Bihar, setting the stage for a closely watched electoral contest.

Kishor, making his electoral debut , is seeking to wrest the BJP stronghold that fell vacant after Nitin Nabin , now the BJP's national president, vacated the seat a few months ago. He was accompanied by his wife, Jahnavi Das , a medical practitioner from Assam who rarely appears in public but joined him during the nomination process.

The former political strategist reached the collectorate in a large procession that began at the busy Dak Bungalow crossing , around a kilometre from the venue, with supporters accompanying him throughout the march.

Meanwhile, BJP nominee Neeraj Kumar Sinha , a 32-year-old Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) leader , filed his nomination in the presence of senior party leaders, including MP Ravi Shankar Prasad and Bihar BJP president Sanjay Saraogi .

Sinha was fielded after the BJP made a last-minute change in its candidate. Abhishek Kumar "Bunty" , who had filed his nomination papers last week, withdrew from the contest, citing family reasons .

The Bankipur bypoll has drawn significant political attention, with Kishor's first direct electoral contest seen as a key test of the Jan Suraaj Party's appeal in Bihar. For the BJP, retaining the seat is crucial to maintaining its dominance in one of its traditional urban strongholds, making the by-election an important contest for both parties.