Patna: Campaign for Bankipur assembly byelection has picked up pace with BJP star campaigners and Bhojpuri singer-actors Pawan Singh and Manoj Tiwari ignoring the drizzle to seek votes for NDA candidate Neeraj Kumar Sinha on Friday evening. Sinha is contesting against Jan Suraaj founder and poll strategist Prashant Kishor, with RJD’s Rekha Gupta making it a triangular contest.While Singh, also an MLC, campaigned in Jakkanpur mandal, Boring Road and Chiraiyatand areas, Northeast Delhi MP and Bhojpuri singer Tiwari sought votes for the BJP candidate in Jaiprakash Nagar, Saristabad and Dariyapur Gola areas of the constituency. Singh said the atmosphere is good and the result will be positive for BJP. “Jahan bhi jaiye charcha hai Bankipur, Bankipur,” he told the crowd at New Yarpur Shakti Kendra.Tiwari said though this is a byelection, people of Bankipur will vote for BJP as a vote of thanks to Nitin Nabin, who served them with all sincerity for years. “The entire country is waiting for the Bankipur result as it’s a fight between a poor grassroots party worker and a billionaire,” he said in Patna.While BJP has made a list of 40 star-campaigners, Kishor is baking on himself. He held a ‘chai pe charcha’ and meetings in Nala Road, Chudi Market, ward numbers 16, 26, 30, 35, 38 and Dariyapur Gola in ward number 42 on Friday.The July 30 bypoll is crucial for both BJP and Kishor, who has made his electoral debut after scripting the poll campaign for many politicians, including Narendra Modi, Nitish Kumar and Mamata Banerjee. The seat fell vacant after BJP national president Nabin was elected to Rajya Sabha. The constituency has been a BJP stronghold since the 1995 election.CM Samrat Choudhary has requested all NDA legislators and ministers to campaign, as the Bankipur byelection is his first electoral test since he assumed office on April 15. BJP has strong organisational support at the booth level, which is why it fielded its mandal-level worker.While NDA counts on the work done during Nabin’s tenure as an MLA and minister, Kishor is requesting people to vote for change. Janshakti Janta Dal chief and RJD president Lalu Prasad’s elder son Tej Pratap Yadav has supported Kishor’s candidature.
