Patna: The BJP’s sudden course corrections in the prestigious Bankipur bypoll — first replacing its candidate and then revising the biodata of his successor amid questions over his party membership — have handed the opposition fresh ammunition ahead of a contest that has acquired significance far beyond a single assembly seat.The seat, vacated by BJP national president Nitin Nabin following his nomination to the Rajya Sabha, has remained a saffron stronghold for more than three decades. But a series of developments over the past few days has triggered speculation about the pressure on the ruling party as it seeks to retain one of its safest urban constituencies.The latest controversy erupted after opposition parties alleged that BJP candidate Neeraj Kumar Sinha’s earlier biodata, circulated on social media, showed that he had become a primary member of the party in 2006 despite his date of birth being July 3, 1994. The claim implied that Sinha had joined the BJP at the age of 12. In the revised biodata uploaded later, details about his party membership were removed.The controversy comes close on the heels of the BJP replacing its original nominee, Abhishek Kumar Sinha alias Bunty, who withdrew from the contest citing family reasons. Sources said Bunty had to pull out after the BJP learnt that his father, Ravindra Prasad, was allegedly involved in the multi-crore fodder scam that changed the course of Bihar politics in the 1990s. It is learned that a court had imposed a fine of Rs 75,000 on him in the case in which Dhruv Bhagat was sentenced to seven years in jail.Bunty’s father said his son withdrew from the contest “to protect the honour of his parents”. “Until Bunty took the decision, the atmosphere at our home was that of celebration. Now that has given way to desolation. My son took the step to protect the honour of his parents,” Prasad, who owns a Patna-based firm that had come under the scanner in the Rs 1,000 crore scandal, told the reporters on Saturday.RJD spokesperson Chitranjan Gagan said the BJP’s repeated changes reflected its discomfort ahead of the bypoll. “If the changes in its poll strategy are any indication, the BJP is under heavy pressure, perhaps never seen in the past. This is not an election for a single seat. A lot of BJP prestige is involved since the seat was vacated by the party’s national president,” he said.State Congress media in-charge Rajesh Rathore also attacked the ruling party. “Kabhi candidate badalte hain, kabhi unka biodata… Akhir ho kya raha hai?” he asked, alleging that the BJP was struggling to contain internal discontent.Rejecting the criticism, BJP spokesperson Manoj Sharma dismissed the issue as a technical matter. “Date of joining se kya lena-dena unko?” Sharma asked. He said the party conducts membership drives every three years and added that Sinha had renewed his membership in 2025.The Bankipur battle has become more intriguing with Jan Suraaj founder Prashant Kishor deciding to enter the fray. With BJP’s Neeraj Kumar Sinha and RJD’s Rekha Gupta already in the race, Bankipur now appears headed for a keen triangular contest. In the 2025 assembly polls, BJP’s Nitin Nabin had won the seat by around 52,000 votes while the RJD nominee Rakha Gupta had polled 46,363 votes.
