The results of assembly by-elections in Bihar’s Bankipur, Madhya Pradesh’s Datia and Gujarat’s Manjalpur will be declared on Monday, with counting set to begin at 8 am. Voting for all three seats was held on July 30.

Bankipur and Datia have emerged as the sharpest contests of the day because both are seen as traditional BJP strongholds. Manjalpur, meanwhile, is shaping up as a straightforward BJP-versus-Congress fight.

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Bankipur takes centre stage

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(Representational image) From Bankipur to Datia, Monday’s bypoll results are egerly awaited | AI

In Bankipur, the contest has drawn attention because Jan Suraaj Party founder Prashant Kishor is making his personal electoral debut there.

The seat fell vacant after BJP leader Nitin Nabin resigned as MLA following his election to the Rajya Sabha. The BJP has fielded Neeraj Kumar Sinha, while the RJD has put up Rekha Kumari.

Kishor’s entry has made the seat far less predictable than the party would have liked, especially in a constituency where the BJP has long enjoyed an edge.

Bankipur recorded a voter turnout of about 34.16 percent.

Kishor turns up the political heat

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(Representational image) Datia, Bankipur and Manjalpur are voting on local candidates | AI

Kishor sharpened that challenge on Sunday by predicting a heavy BJP loss.

“The BJP will lose by such a big vote margin,” he said at a press conference in Patna, adding that the party should not take voters for granted. He also accused a BJP leader of making the “dog or cat” remark during the campaign, a line he used to argue that the ruling party treats Bankipur as a safe fortress.

The BJP rejected that framing. BJP MP Ravi Shankar Prasad called the attribution a “false and baseless narrative” and said the party respects its workers and democratic processes.

Kishor said his party has complained to the Election Commission against Patna Police over alleged illegal detentions of supporters before polling.

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Datia’s contest carries wider echoes

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(Representational image) The BJP is defending familiar ground in Bankipur and Datia | AI

Datia carries a different kind of political charge.

The BJP denied a ticket to former home minister Narottam Mishra, who has long been associated with the seat, even though he lost the constituency to Congress’s Rajendra Bharti in the 2023 Madhya Pradesh Assembly election.

The by-election became necessary after a Delhi court sentenced Bharti to three years in prison in a cheating case in April, which ended his assembly membership.

The main fight is between BJP candidate Ashutosh Tiwari and Congress nominee Ghanshyam Singh. Though the result will not affect the stability of the BJP government in Madhya Pradesh.

Analysts say it could influence the political standing of both parties ahead of the 2028 Assembly election.

Manjalpur watches with quiet intent

Manjalpur has a narrower, but still important, contest. The seat became vacant after the death of veteran BJP MLA and former Gujarat minister Yogesh Patel on June 2, 2026.

Patel had represented the constituency for decades. BJP candidate Satish Govindbhai Patel is facing Congress’s Bhikhabhai Rabari. The turnout there was about 37.5 percent.

The three results will offer an early read on the BJP’s strength in seats where it is defending familiar ground and on how much space challengers like Kishor can create in a contest the party is expected to keep under control.

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FAQs

Q1: Why is the Bankipur bypoll attracting national attention?

The Bankipur bypoll marks Jan Suraaj founder Prashant Kishor’s electoral debut against the BJP in one of its traditional strongholds.

Q2: Which assembly seats are voting in the bypolls?

The bypolls are being held in Bankipur (Bihar), Datia (Madhya Pradesh), and Manjalpur (Gujarat).