BJP’s Abhishek Kumar Sinha and RJD’s Rekha Kumari filed their nomination papers for the July 30 Bankipur Assembly bypoll
July 9, 2026: The election battle for the Bankipur Assembly bypoll in Bihar officially began on Thursday as BJP candidate Abhishek Kumar Sinha and RJD nominee Rekha Kumari filed their nomination papers. Before filing his nomination, Sinha, popularly known as Bunty, offered prayers at local temples and sought his parents’ blessings. The bypoll, scheduled for July 30, was necessitated after BJP national president Nitin Nabin resigned from the seat. Counting of votes will take place on August 3, while the last date for filing nominations is July 13.
Speaking to reporters, Sinha expressed confidence that the NDA would retain the constituency, stating that BJP workers remained active throughout the year and that there was “no competition.” He credited former MLA Nitin Nabin for developmental work in the constituency and thanked the BJP leadership for giving him the opportunity to contest. Senior NDA leaders, including Ravi Shankar Prasad, Umesh Kushwaha, Shambhavi Choudhary and Sanjay Saraogi, accompanied him during the nomination process and reiterated their confidence in an NDA victory.
RJD candidate Rekha Kumari, who finished runner-up in the 2025 Assembly election, also exuded confidence, claiming that voters would defeat the ruling alliance and create a “new history” in Bankipur. She said senior RJD leaders would actively campaign for the party and added that every political party was free to contest the election when asked about Jan Suraaj founder Prashant Kishor’s candidature. According to Jan Suraaj, Kishor is expected to file his nomination on July 13, setting the stage for a multi-cornered contest in the prestigious Patna constituency.