Bihar politics got into a state of frenzy following the withdrawal of the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) official candidate for the Bankipur assembly by-election, Abhishek Kumar Sinha (alias Abhishek Bunty). The withdrawal took place within just 24 hours of filing the nominations on Friday.
Although Bunty cited “personal family reasons” in an official press conference, sources revealed an astute, strategic, high-voltage intervention by the BJP high command to avert a potential political disaster.
The fodder scam: A tainted legacy
The main trigger of Bunty’s withdrawal is due to his tainted past in connection with the Bihar multi-crore Fodder Scam.
Ravindra Prasad Sinha, Bunty’s father, was a key person in the Fodder Scam. Investigation shows that Ravindra Prasad Sinha worked as a manager in M/s Magadh Chemicals Corporation, which had been found guilty in generating fake bills and supplying to the government. With rival parties like the RJD, Congress, and Prashant Kishor’s Jan Suraaj sharpening their claws, the BJP high command realized that fielding a candidate with direct ties to a Fodder Scam convict would destroy the party’s anti-corruption narrative.
Issues of educational qualifications
Apart from the fodder scam scandal, an erroneous declaration regarding Bunty’s educational qualification posed imminent danger to the entire campaign plan of the party. According to Bunty’s affidavit, he was qualified with 10th grade.
But on closer internal inspection of the certificates and marksheets of Bunty, it became clear that there were many discrepancies and anomalies. Concerned that the returning officer of the Election Commission would simply not accept the nomination of Bunty during the verification stage – which could lead to the party having no contestant for the election – the BJP decided to make Bunty resign voluntarily before any embarrassment could happen.
Damage control measures: Neeraj Kumar Sinha in place of bunty
Realising the gravity of the situation, the BJP made the announcement that 32-year-old Neeraj Kumar Sinha would be its official candidate for the Bankipur by-election. Unlike Bunty, Neeraj is a loyal grassroots organisational worker.
Neeraj Kumar Sinha’s profile: Having been associated with the BJP since 2006, Neeraj Kumar Sinha has been climbing up the ladder of BJP organisational hierarchy and has held positions like Booth President to District Vice President of the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM).
The Bankipur bye-election is likely to see a tough fight among three parties. The candidate of the Bharatiya Janata Party, Neeraj Kumar Sinha, would have a hard-fought contest with Rekha Gupta, who is the official candidate of the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), and another well-supported candidate of Prashant Kishor’s newly formed Jan Suraaj Party. Facing a tight deadline on July 13, political experts feel that the change of candidates was a tactical move by the BJP.
Bureau Report
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