The BJP has made two surprise candidate announcements for upcoming assembly bypolls, replacing its nominee in Bihar’s Bankipur seat and choosing a new face over senior leader Narottam Mishra in Madhya Pradesh’s Datia.

In Bihar, youth wing leader Neeraj Kumar Sinha was named as the new candidate for Bankipur after the original nominee, Abhishek Kumar Sinha, withdrew citing family reasons.The seat became vacant following BJP national president Nitin Nabin’s election to the Rajya Sabha.The bypoll is expected to be a high-profile contest with Jan Suraaj founder Prashant Kishor and RJD’s Rekha Gupta among the contenders.

In Madhya Pradesh, Ashutosh Tiwari was nominated for Datia despite protests from Mishra supporters, who blocked highways and resigned from BJP offices.The bypoll was triggered by Congress leader Rajendra Bharti’s conviction, and polling is scheduled for July 30.The decisions highlight internal BJP dynamics and competition in key constituencies.