Bankipur bypoll: Prashant Kishor, BJP candidate Neeraj Sinha file nominations

PATNA: Jan Suraaj Party founder Prashant Kishor and BJP candidate Neeraj Kumar Sinha on Monday filed their nomination papers for the bypoll to the Bankipur Assembly seat in Bihar.Kishor, who is contesting to capture the BJP stronghold vacated by the party's national president Nitin Nabin a couple of months ago, was accompanied by his wife, Jahnavi Das, a medical practitioner from Assam.Das, who generally stays away from the public eye, joined her husband as he filed his nomination for his electoral debut, news agency PTI reported.PK greeted BJP workers during a roadshow while he was on his way to file his nomination papers.The former IPAC founder, who launched the Jan Suraaj Party around two years ago, reached the collectorate in a large procession that began at the busy Dak Bungalow crossing, nearly a kilometre away.Meanwhile, BJP candidate Sinha was accompanied by senior party leaders, including local MP Ravi Shankar Prasad and state president Sanjay Saraogi.Sinha offered prayers before filing his nomination papers and said, “I am deeply grateful to have received the divine blessings of Mata Rani, the blessings of Lord Hanuman, and the collective support and blessings of all of you.”The 32-year-old Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha leader was fielded after Abhishek Kumar "Bunty" withdrew from the contest, PTI reported.Abhishek had filed his nomination papers last week but later pulled out, citing "family reasons".(With agency inputs)