Prashant Kishor calls BJP's Bankipur candidate swap unprecedented in Bihar bypoll
Jan Suraaj Party founder Prashant Kishor on Saturday described the BJP candidate's withdrawal from the Bankipur Assembly bypoll in Bihar as "unprecedented" and claimed the
Jan Suraaj Party founder Prashant Kishor on Saturday described the BJP candidate's withdrawal from the Bankipur Assembly bypoll in Bihar as "unprecedented" and claimed the party "lacks a candidate of calibre". Kishor, who is contesting the by-election, said it was usually candidates from the BJP's rivals who pulled out of contests because of "pressure or fear from the BJP". The BJP on Friday named youth wing leader Neeraj Kumar Sinha as its candidate for the Patna seat after its earlier nominee, Abhishek Kumar Sinha, withdrew citing "family reasons". The by-election to the BJP stronghold will be held on July 30, with counting scheduled for August 3. Read Full Story In a sudden development, Abhishek Kumar Sinha, popularly known as Bunty and a vice-president of the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha's state unit, expressed his inability to contest the bypoll a day after filing his nomination papers.
The move prompted opposition leaders to say the ruling party was "jittery at the prospects of a defeat" in the seat vacated by BJP national president Nitin Nabin. Reacting to the development, Kishor told reporters, "Until now, people across the country have withdrawn from electoral contests due to pressure or fear from the BJP. However, for the first time, a BJP candidate himself has pulled out of the election race. The development is unprecedented." He said this reflected the strength of democracy and people's trust. 'PEOPLE NOW WANT CHANGE' "The message is clear: people now want change and are finding their voice. This time, they will teach the BJP a lesson in its own bastion. The saffron party lacks a candidate of calibre," Kishor said.
He added that no force can withstand the power of the people and asserted that the people's mandate is the "greatest force" and that the final decision ultimately rests with them. Kishor also said, "The BJP is known to entice or intimidate candidates of its rivals. Now its own candidate is running away. The BJP is jittery at the prospects of a defeat. They used to brag that they can win Bankipur even if they field anyone. The people have decided to punish the BJP." On Bihar politics, he said, "People of Bihar are clear in their view that a person like Samrat Choudhary, given his conduct, character and public image, cannot be imposed as the chief minister of Bihar.
The CM can come from any community; that is not the issue. The real issue is choosing a capable and deserving person." The BJP's new nominee, Neeraj Kumar Sinha, met Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary on Saturday and is expected to file his nomination papers on Monday. The bypoll was necessitated by Nitin Nabin's election to the Rajya Sabha after he was named the BJP's national president. Nabin had won the Bankipur seat five times in a row, making it a long-standing BJP stronghold. Ends
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