Who Is Neeraj Kumar Sinha? 32-Year-Old BJP Leader Set To Face Prashant Kishor In Bankipur Bypoll

Bankipur Bypoll: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Friday named Neeraj Kumar Sinha as its candidate for the upcoming Bankipur Assembly by-election in Bihar. The announcement came just hours after the party's original nominee, Abhishek Kumar Sinha, withdrew from the contest, despite having filed his nomination papers just a day before.

In an official statement, Abhishek said, "I express my gratitude to the central and state leadership of the Bharatiya Janata Party for nominating me as the NDA candidate for the Bankipur Assembly by-election. However, with due humility, I wish to state that I am unable to contest the election due to family reasons. I will continue to serve the party with dedication as a worker."

The Bankipur Assembly by-election in Bihar is scheduled to be held on July 30, 2026, with the counting of votes set to take place on August 3. The seat fell vacant after BJP leader Nitin Nabin resigned as MLA following his election to the Rajya Sabha.

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Who Is Neeraj Kumar Sinha?

Neeraj Kumar Sinha (Sahu) is a 32-year-old BJP leader who has been associated with the party for several years. Born on July 1, 1994, in Patna, Bihar, Sinha holds a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) degree and resides in Patna's Mithapur area. He joined the BJP as a primary member in 2006 and has steadily risen through the party ranks over the years.

Sinha has held several organisational roles, including booth president, mandal general secretary, and district vice-president of the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM). He was elected mandal president twice and most recently served as the president of the Narendra Bharti Mandal in Bankipur, India TV reported.

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Politics Runs In Neeraj's Family

He comes from a family with long-standing ties to the BJP. His uncle, Narendra Bharti, was a dedicated Bharatiya Jana Sangh worker who died in 1984. The local BJP organisational unit was later named the Narendra Bharti Mandal in his honour.

In the upcoming Bankipur bypoll, Sinha will face Jan Suraaj Party founder and former election strategist Prashant Kishor, who is making his poll debut in what has become one of Bihar's most closely watched contests.