BJP to win Bankipur seat after July 30 bypoll, enjoys support of all NDA allies: Chirag Paswan

New Delhi, Jul 11 (PTI) NDA ally and Union minister Chirag Paswan on Sunday expressed confidence that the BJP would retain the Bankipur seat in Bihar, where the party had to bring in a fresh candidate after its original nominee pulled out of the race for the July 30 bypoll. Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of an event here, the Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) chief also asserted that Jan Suraaj founder Prashant Kishor, who is contesting from the seat, would face defeat. Paswan's remarks came a day after BJP nominee Abhishek Kumar Sinha suddenly pulled out of the byelection citing family reasons, and the saffron party named its youth wing leader Neeraj Kumar Sinha as its candidate in his place. The move has triggered speculation that negative inputs about Sinha may have been the reason behind the sudden turn of events. When asked about it, Paswan said, "Various kinds of questions are being floated in the media with regard to the BJP candidate (Abhishek Kumar Sinha) even though he has clarified his position." "I would only say that it would be the BJP candidate whom the people of Bankipur will elect in the upcoming bypoll. We, all five constituents of the NDA (in Bihar), will support him," he said. Seeking to quell speculations on why Abhishek Kumar opted out of the race after filing his nomination, the LJP (RV) president said, "This is not important. This is not the first time such a thing has happened. Such decisions have been taken many times before, for various reasons. What is important is the person who will eventually be elected from the seat." Paswan said the winner should be part of both the Central and Bihar governments so that he could provide the benefits of both governments' schemes to the people. "The people of Bankipur understand this. That's why the BJP candidate has been elected from this seat nine consecutive times so far," he added. Asked if Prashant Kishor would be able to open his account from the seat, Paswan said, "He can't." "There is a reason behind it. You cannot promote the mindset of anarchy in a state like Bihar, where every person is politically aware and wise," he added, alleging that Kishor operates with the "mindset of anarchy". The Jan Suraaj founder does not have any clear roadmap for Bihar's development, Paswan charged, "Nobody understands his idea. That is why he could not open his account in the Bihar assembly elections." The Bankipur assembly byelection will be held on July 30, and the votes polled will be counted on August 3. The vacancy arose after BJP national president Nitin Nabin resigned as an MLA from the seat after he was sworn in as a Rajya Sabha member. Paswan said the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) is "strong" in Uttar Pradesh and it will return to power after the assembly elections next year. "The NDA is strong, and it is expanding. It will further expand in Uttar Pradesh. We, too, are strengthening our organisation with elections in mind. It is too early to comment on what the structure of the NDA would look like. For now, we are working on strengthening our organisation," Paswan told reporters. The LJP (RV) will "certainly" contest the upcoming assembly polls in Uttar Pradesh, he added. Attacking the Samajwadi Party and the Congress, he said, "I don't know what will be the form of their alliance, whether they will fight the Uttar Pradesh elections under the 'Mahagathbandhan' or the INDIA bloc. Because these parties that seek to get ahead by stepping on each other just seem to bring down one another." In such a scenario, it remains to be seen whether the Samajwadi Party and the Congress would come together to contest the upcoming assembly polls in Uttar Pradesh, Paswan said. "In Uttar Pradesh, a 'double-engine' government envisioned by Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to be formed once again. There is absolutely no doubt about it," he added. PTI PK MJH RUK RUK