Prashant Kishor surges in BJP bastion; Cong ahead in Datia
Patna : Bhopal : Vote counting is underway for crucial by-elections in Bihar's Bankipur, Madhya Pradesh's Datia, and Gujarat's Manjalpur constituencies.
In Bihar's Bankipur, former poll strategist Prashant Kishor is making his electoral debut against the BJP and RJD, following the resignation of BJP's Nitin Nabin.
Madhya Pradesh's Datia bypoll was triggered by the disqualification of a Congress MLA, with the outcome potentially influencing the state's political landscape ahead of 2028 elections.
Gujarat's Manjalpur by-election, necessitated by the death of a senior BJP MLA, sees a direct contest between the BJP and Congress.
The bypolls are significant tests for both ruling BJP and opposition parties, particularly in Madhya Pradesh where the result could impact political standing.
The counting of votes for the crucial by-elections in three BJP-ruled states -- Bihar, Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat -- is underway.
The election for Bankipur assembly constituency in Bihar, Datia in Madhya Pradesh and Manjalpur in Gujarat, took place on July 30.
Prashant Kishor Leads In Early Trends : Jan Suraaj Party candidate Prashant Kishor widened his lead over BJP's Neeraj Kumar Sinha in the Bankipur assembly by-election as the counting progressed in Bihar, officials said.
A celebratory mood was witnessed among Jan Suraaj Party supporters at its headquarters in Datia.
The counting of votes for the bypoll began at 8 am here on Monday, with all eyes on whether debutant Kishor wrests the seat from the BJP.
Bihar minister Shrawon Kumar said, "These are early trends. The picture will become clear after a few more rounds of counting. We are hopeful that the mandate will be in the NDA's favour because we have worked for the development of people irrespective of caste, religion or creed."
The by-election was necessitated following the resignation of BJP national president Nitin Nabin, who gave up the seat in April upon election to the Rajya Sabha. The BJP has fielded low-key youth wing leader Neeraj Kumar Sinha.
RJD's Rekha Gupta, who lost to BJP's Nitin Nabin in the 2025 assembly elections by a margin of over 50,000 votes, has been fielded again by her party.
The bypoll, held on July 30, recorded a voter turnout of 34.30 per cent, down by more than seven per cent from the 41.45 per cent registered in the last assembly elections.
RJD working president Tejashwi Yadav visited Baba Harihar Nath Temple in Sonepur and offered prayers before the counting began.
Meanwhile, BJP party workers were seen ordering 'laddoos' at several sweet shops in Patna, asserting that Sinha's victory was a forgone conclusion.
Madhya Pradesh's Datia Implications :Congress candidate Ghanshyam Singh took a lead of 1786 votes over BJP's Ashutosh Tiwari after the six round of counting on Monday for the Datia assembly bypoll in Madhya Pradesh, officials said. In the previous rounds, Tiwari was ahead of Singh.
The bypoll was necessitated after a Delhi court in April this year sentenced Congress MLA Rajendra Bharti to three years' imprisonment in a cheating case, leading to the termination of his assembly membership.
Besides Congress's Ghanshyam Singh and BJP nominee Ashutosh Tiwari, 19 other candidates also contested the Datia bypoll.
Voting was held on July 30, and recorded a 71.44 per cent turnout.
Bharti had defeated BJP leader and former state home minister Narottam Mishra by over 7,700 votes in the 2023 assembly elections.
In the 230-member Madhya Pradesh assembly, the BJP has 164 MLAs, the Congress 64 and the Bharat Adivasi Party one legislator.
The outcome of the bypoll may not alter the stability of the BJP government in the state, but political observers believe it carries wider implications, coming against the backdrop of recent student protests and the resignation of Dharmendra Pradhan as Union education minister.
According to analysts, the closely watched result could significantly shape the political standing of both the ruling BJP and Opposition Congress in the state ahead of the 2028 assembly elections.
The Datia bypoll is also the first electoral test for newly appointed BJP state president Hemant Khandelwal.
Hours ahead of the counting, the Congress suspended Bharti from the party's primary membership on Sunday night, according to an official statement.
Bharti, who represented the Datia seat in the assembly before his disqualification, said the action taken against him was wrong and that the public would respond to this in the 2028 Madhya Pradesh assembly polls.
He alleged that the entire episode (a reference to the cheating case and his subsequent suspension from the party) was a "conspiracy" by Narottam Mishra and that Congress candidate Ghanshyam Singh had contested the election in collusion with him.
Gujarat's Manjalpur Contest : BJP candidate Satish Patel surged ahead over his Congress rival and former minister Bhikhabhai Rabari in the Manjalpur assembly by-election in Gujarat on Monday, officials said.
Counting of votes began at 8 am at Bhavan's School premises in the Makarpura area of Vadodara amid tight security.
The bypoll, held on July 30, recorded a voter turnout of 37.5 per cent. The election was necessitated by the death of senior BJP MLA and former Gujarat minister Yogesh Patel on June 2 following a prolonged illness.
The BJP fielded former Vadodara Municipal Corporation councillor Satish Govindbhai Patel, while the Congress nominated its Gujarat vice president Bhikhabhai Rabari.
The outcome of the Manjalpur assembly bypoll won't have any bearing on the BJP's strength; however, it remains interesting to watch how Congress puts up a fight in the saffron stronghold in Vadodara city.
