Patna: As the BJP fights to retain Bankipur, a seat it has held for more than three decades, it found itself facing fresh criticism on Sunday after the opposition questioned changes made to the biodata of its candidate, Neeraj Kumar Sinha. The bypoll has drawn considerable attention as the seat was vacated by BJP national president Nitin Nabin following his nomination to the Rajya Sabha.The controversy erupted after opposition parties alleged that Sinha’s earlier biodata showed he had become a primary member of the BJP in 2006 despite being born on July 3, 1994, implying that he joined the party at the age of 12. The revised biodata, uploaded later, no longer mentions the year he joined the party.RJD spokesperson Chitranjan Gagan claimed the BJP was under pressure ahead of the election. “If the changes in its poll strategy are any indication, the BJP is under heavy pressure, perhaps never seen in the past,” he said, adding that the contest had become a matter of prestige for the party.State Congress media incharge Rajesh Rathorre also targeted the BJP. “Kabhi candidate badalte hain, kabhi unka biodata… Akhir ho kya raha hai?” he asked, alleging that the ruling party was struggling to contain internal discontent.Rejecting the criticism, BJP spokesperson Manoj Sharma said the opposition had no reason to question the candidate’s membership details. “Date of joining se kya lena-dena unko?” Sharma asked, describing it as a “technical” issue. He added that the BJP conducts membership drives every three years and said Sinha had renewed his membership in 2025.The controversy comes days after the BJP replaced its original candidate, Abhishek Kumar Sinha alias Bunty, who withdrew from the contest citing family reasons. Sources said the decision came after questions were raised over the alleged involvement of his father, Ravindra Prasad, in the fodder scam.The contest has become more interesting after Jan Suraaj founder Prashant Kishor decided to enter the fray. A Jan Suraaj spokesperson said Kishor would file his nomination papers on Monday.With BJP’s Neeraj Kumar Sinha, RJD’s Rekha Gupta and Prashant in the race, Bankipur appears headed for a triangular contest. In the 2025 assembly polls, BJP candidate Nitin Nabin had won the seat with around 52,000 votes while the RJD nominee Rakha Gupta had polled 46,363 votes.
