Patna: The Election Commission on Thursday announced the schedule for the bypoll to the high-profile Bankipur assembly seat in Patna, setting the stage for a keen political contest in a constituency regarded as a BJP stronghold for the past three decades.According to the poll schedule, July 13 is the last date for filing nominations, July 14 has been fixed for scrutiny of nomination papers and July 16 is the last date for withdrawal of candidature. Polling will be held on July 30 and votes will be counted on Aug 3.The bypoll became necessary after BJP MLA Nitin Nabin, now the party’s national president, resigned from the seat following his nomination to the Rajya Sabha.Bankipur has remained a BJP bastion since 1995. Navin Kishore Prasad Sinha represented the constituency from 1995 to 2005, after which his son, Nitin Nabin, retained the seat in every election until resigning at the end of March this year.The announcement has intensified political activity with parties beginning preparations for the contest. Jan Suraaj founder Prashant Kishor has already launched an extensive campaign in the constituency. For more than a fortnight, he has been visiting different localities, interacting with voters and appealing for support for his party. Political circles are also abuzz with speculation that he may contest the election himself, although no official announcement has been made.“Distressed by the BJP’s misrule, the people of Bankipur are demanding that Prashant Kishor contest the election from this seat himself. Party functionaries and workers also want Kishor — the architect of the Jan Suraaj campaign — to run as the party’s candidate in the Bankipur assembly by-election although a formal announcement about the party candidate will be made on July 5,” Jan Suraaj state president Manoj Bharti said at a press conference in Patna on Thursday.The bypoll is expected to attract considerable attention as it will be the first electoral test in the constituency since Nitin vacated the seat and could witness a high-profile contest if Prashant enters the fray.
