There is confusion regarding the candidate in the opposition grand alliance for the Bankipur assembly seat of Bihar. The official candidate has not been announced yet by the Grand Alliance, but both Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and Congress are staking their claim on this seat.
Bankipur Legislative Assembly Seat: Before the by-election to be held on the high-profile Bankipur assembly seat of Bihar, differences have started emerging regarding seat sharing within the Grand Alliance (INDIA alliance). Both Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and Congress are claiming their claim on this seat to be strong. In such a situation, the discussion has intensified whether both the parties will field a candidate with mutual consent or the tension may increase within the alliance regarding the seat.
Although both the parties have clarified that the final decision will be taken at the alliance level, the public statements of the leaders have sparked speculation in political circles.
RJD expressed strong claim
Rashtriya Janata Dal’s chief spokesperson Shakti Singh Yadav said that RJD’s claim on Bankipur seat is strong and the party is making full preparations to win the elections this time. According to him, during the last assembly elections, when no other alliance partner was ready to contest from this seat, RJD had fielded a candidate and secured significant votes.
He said that party workers have been active in the area for a long time and preparations for the election campaign have also been started. He also indicated that the party may soon announce the name of its candidate. RJD believes that its organizational network in the area and the activism of its workers make it a strong contender for this seat.
Congress also did not give up its claim
On the other hand, Bihar Congress has also made it clear that its claim on the Bankipur assembly seat is strong both historically and politically. Party spokesperson Asit Nath Tiwari said that Bankipur has been a traditional seat of Congress and hence Congress’s claim on this seat is natural.
However, he also clarified that the final decision will not be taken by Congress alone, but all the allies of INDIA alliance will decide the candidate after mutual discussion. Congress says that maintaining the unity of the alliance is most important and the decision on seat sharing should be taken with collective consent.
What does electoral history say?
Bankipur Assembly seat is counted among the major urban seats of Bihar and has been the center of state politics for a long time. If we look at the previous election record, Congress had fielded a candidate from this seat in the 2015 and 2020 assembly elections, but it was not successful. After this, this seat went to RJD in the 2025 assembly elections, although the party could not register victory there too.
This is the reason why both the parties are claiming this seat on the basis of their political base and past experiences. According to the schedule of the Election Commission of India, voting for the Bankipur Assembly by-election will be held on July 30, while the results will be declared after counting on August 3. The nomination process has started and candidates will be able to file their nomination papers till July 13. After this the process of scrutiny of nomination papers and withdrawal of nominations will be completed.
Why did the seat become vacant?
Bankipur Assembly seat has become vacant after senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Nitin Naveen was elected as Rajya Sabha member. By-election is being held here due to his leaving the post of assembly member. This seat is considered politically important, as it represents major urban areas of Patna, the capital of Bihar. In such a situation, all the major parties are seeing this seat as a fight for prestige.
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