3 states, 3 bypolls: All eyes on PK, Ashutosh Tiwari as Bankipur, Datia, Manjalpur await verdict on Monday

Both Bankipur and Datia have become prestige battles for the Bharatiya Janata Party, with both being traditional strongholds of the saffron party.

The results of three assembly by-elections in three states will be declared on Monday, with the spotlight on Bihar's Bankipur and Madhya Pradesh's Datia.

The third seat is Gujarat's Manjalpur. Voting for all three bypolls was held on July 30.

Both Bankipur and Datia have emerged as prestige battles for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), as both are considered traditional saffron party strongholds. Bankipur was previously represented by BJP national president Nitin Nabin, while Datia is the political bastion of former Madhya Pradesh home minister Narottam Mishra.

Mishra did not get a ticket for the by-election for the seat he lost in the 2023 assembly polls to Congress candidate Rajendra Bharti.

The bypoll was necessitated after a Delhi court in April this year sentenced Bharti to three years' imprisonment in a cheating case, leading to the termination of his assembly membership.

Violence erupted in the aftermath of the ticket denial, with Mishra's supporters clashing with the police. The former minister later shed tears as he promised full support to the BJP candidate, Ashutosh Tiwari.

The outcome of the Datia assembly 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 Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.

According to analysts, the closely watched result, slated for Monday, could significantly shape the political standing of both the ruling BJP and the Opposition Congress in the state ahead of the 2028 assembly elections.

The main contest is widely seen as being between Tiwari and Congress nominee Ghanshyam Singh.

District Election Officer Swapnil Wankhede said counting would begin at 8 am on Monday with postal ballots, followed by votes polled through electronic voting machines (EVMs).

The high-stakes assembly bye-election in Bihar's Bankipur-182 constituency concluded with a moderate turnout, recording approximately 34.16 per cent total voter participation on Thursday, according to the Election Commission.

The Bankipur 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 Jan Suraaj Party founder Prashant Kishor has thrown his hat in the contest.

What would have been a straightforward election for the BJP, which recently made Samrat Chaudhary its first-ever chief minister in the state, has been complicated by the entry and relentless campaigning of Prashant Kishor.

Kishor has claimed that he would defeat the BJP in the election, which, if it happens, would be a major embarrassment for the ruling party.

The BJP has fielded Neeraj Kumar Sinha from the seat, while RJD’s Rekha Kumari is also in the fray.

The Manjalpur Assembly by-election in Gujarat was also held on July 30, recording a voter turnout of approximately 37.5 per cent. This high-stakes bypoll was triggered by the death of veteran Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA and former minister Yogesh Patel on June 2, 2026, who had held the consecutive legislative seat for decades.

The election is a direct face-off between BJP’s Satish Govindbhai Patel and Congress’s Bhikhabhai Rabari.

Shivam Pratap Singh is a digital journalist who works as a Deputy Chief Content Producer with Hindustan Times. Having previously worked with various platforms covering national, international as well as sports events, he blends in various topics to easy to read news pieces for the benefit of the reader. Shivam holds a Master's degree in International Relations from Jamia Millia Islamia, bringing in a unique perspective for whatever is happening around the world. An avid reader, he can be seen immersed in books and book shops while not working. Shivam treats every topic almost equally but loves to right about foreign affairs and politics of India. He has over half-a-decade of experience in digital journalism though his career started in print.Read More