Patna

BJP's Abhishek Kumar Sinha and RJD's Rekha Kumari filed their nomination papers for the Bankipur assembly bypoll here on Thursday.

The bypoll will be held on July 30, while counting of votes is scheduled for August 3. The last date for filing nominations is July 13. Bankipur is located in Bihar's Patna district.

Before filing his nomination papers, Sinha, popularly known as Bunty, offered prayers at the Panchmukhi Hanuman Mandir in Krishnanagar and the Siddhidatri Jwala Temple.

He also sought the blessings of his parents before leaving for the nomination centre.

Expressing confidence over the NDA's prospects in the bypoll, Sinha said there was "no competition" as BJP workers remained active on the ground throughout the year.

"We are poised to win the election. There is no competition. BJP workers work on the ground all through the year. Nabin did a lot of work in this region when he was MLA. I am very grateful to the BJP leadership for providing me this big opportunity," he told reporters before filing his nomination in Patna.

The BJP on Tuesday named Sinha, a youth wing leader popularly known as Bunty, as its candidate for the bypoll to the assembly constituency, which fell vacant following the resignation of the party's national president, Nitin Nabin.

RJD candidate Rekha Kumari, who contested from the seat and came second in the 2025 assembly polls, also expressed confidence about her victory.

"The people of Bankipur will show the mirror to the government this time around. A new history will be written in the assembly segment as the ruling party will be swept away in the elections," she told reporters after filing her papers.

On Jan Suraaj founder Prashant Kishor contesting the bypoll, Kumari said, "Each party is free to contest elections."

She said senior RJD leaders and office-bearers would actively campaign for the party.

According to a statement issued by the Jan Suraaj Party, Kishor will file his papers on July 13.

The Bankipur seat has been represented by the BJP for several terms. Nabin won the constituency five consecutive times before vacating it after assuming charge as the party's national president. Before him, the seat was represented by his father, Naveen Kishore Prasad Sinha.

Senior NDA leaders, including JD(U) state president Umesh Kushwaha, LJP (RV) MP Shambhavi Choudhary, BJP state president Sanjay Saraogi and senior BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad, were present during Sinha's nomination.

Speaking after the nomination, Prasad said the NDA was united and confident of a decisive victory in the bypoll.

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"The entire NDA is united. There is enthusiasm among our allies because, on behalf of the NDA, the BJP has honoured a worker as a candidate whose journey began right from the booth level," he said.