A Union minister explained why the BJP's defeat in the high-profile Bankipur contest, where Jan Suraaj Party founder Prashant Kishor defeated BJP candidate Neeraj Kumar Sinha, should not be a cause for excessive celebration.

The BJP replaced its Bankipur bypoll nominee, Abhishek Kumar Sinha, with Neeraj Kumar Sinha, citing family reasons, amidst claims from opposition parties that the BJP was nervous about a potential defeat.