The BJP on Friday made two surprise candidate announcements ahead of 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.(L) Bihar BJP chief Sanjay Sarogi with the party's new candidate Neeraj Kumar Sinha, and BJP's Datia assembly bypoll candidate Ashutosh Tiwari (R). (ANI/X via @Ashutosh4BJP)In Bihar, the BJP named youth wing leader Neeraj Kumar Sinha as its candidate for the Bankipur assembly bypoll after the party’s original nominee, Abhishek Kumar Sinha, withdrew from the contest a day after filing his nomination papers, citing “family reasons”.Addressing a brief press conference in Patna, Abhishek Kumar Sinha said, “Because of family reasons, I am unable to contest the bypoll. But, I will continue to work for the party as a committed worker.” Soon after his announcement, the BJP named Neeraj Kumar Sinha as its new candidate. Neeraj said his selection reflected the party’s commitment to grassroots workers.The Bankipur seat fell vacant after BJP national president Nitin Nabin was elected to the Rajya Sabha. A high-profile contest is expected, with Jan Suraaj founder Prashant Kishor in the fray and the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) fielding Rekha Gupta, who lost to Nabin in the 2025 Bihar assembly polls.In Madhya Pradesh, the BJP nominated Ashutosh Tiwari for the Datia assembly bypoll, overlooking former state home minister Narottam Mishra, who had already begun campaigning after meeting senior party leaders in Delhi earlier this week.The bypoll was necessitated after Congress leader Rajendra Bharti lost his assembly membership following his conviction in a criminal case. On Friday, the Delhi high court refused to stay his conviction.The announcement triggered protests by BJP workers believed to be Mishra supporters. Several shops in Datia town shut down, while protesters blocked the Gwalior-Jhansi highway, leading to a traffic jam stretching nearly two kilometres.Over 300 district and panchayat level office bearers of BJP including district president resigned in Datia to register their protest. Women protesters also lay down on the road outside the BJP office in Datia and raised slogans against Tiwari.Mishra could not be reached for comment despite repeated attempts. Tiwari, who had sought a BJP ticket from Seonda in Datia district in 2023, said, “Narottam Mishra is like my guardian. I will contest election under guidance of Mishra only.” Polling for both bypolls is scheduled for July 30.