Bypolls: Voting begins in Bankipur, Datia and Manjalpur Assembly constituencies
Patna, July 30
Voting began on Thursday for by-elections to the Bankipur Assembly constituency in Bihar, Datia in Madhya Pradesh and Manjalpur in Gujarat, with polling underway at designated polling stations across the three states. The counting of votes will take place on August 3.
In Patna, BJP MP Vivek Thakur and senior BJP leader CP Thakur cast their votes at the Bihar State Library polling station on Dak Bungalow Chauraha Road under the Bankipur Assembly constituency.
Speaking to ANI after casting his vote, Vivek Thakur expressed confidence in a decisive victory for the BJP in Bankipur.
"In Bankipur, the Bharatiya Janata Party is moving towards a landslide victory. There is enthusiasm among people. And after the passing of yesterday's bill, the youth across the country are once again united, as they have always been with the Bharatiya Janata Party. Because of the scene in the House yesterday, those who were creating obstacles were the Congress Party and Rahul Gandhi. It's their advisors who have come to Patna to contest elections. So no one is going to be misled; there will be a landslide victory," he said.
When asked if he would return to Parliament, Vivek Thakur said, "I'm going. Off to Delhi."
CP Thakur said his entire family had voted and expressed confidence in a "landslide victory" for the party they support.
"With the whole family. We all help the party we support; the whole family votes for that party. Landslide victory," he said.
"This is a changed Patna. We have been voting at this booth for the last 30 years," CP Thakur added.
Voting also began for the Manjalpur bypoll in Vadodara, while polling commenced at designated polling stations in Datia for the Assembly by-election.
The Bankipur seat fell vacant after BJP leader Nitin Nabin resigned as MLA following his election to the Rajya Sabha. Nabin had won the constituency in the 2025 Assembly election, defeating RJD candidate Rekha Kumari by 51,936 votes.
The BJP has fielded Neeraj Kumar Sinha as its candidate for the Bankipur bypoll. Former Bihar Chief Minister and JD(U) MP Nitish Kumar had urged voters to support Sinha, saying every vote was crucial to maintaining the pace of development in the state.
BJP national president Nitin Nabin also appealed to voters to back the NDA candidate, describing Sinha as a dedicated party worker who had risen through the organisational ranks.
Meanwhile, Bihar Leader of Opposition and RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav expressed confidence in winning the Bankipur by-election. "We are clearly going to win the election..." Yadav told ANI.
In Madhya Pradesh, the Datia Assembly seat fell vacant following the disqualification of Congress MLA Rajendra Bharti on April 2 under the provisions of the Representation of the People Act, 1951.
The BJP has fielded Ashutosh Tiwari, while the Congress has nominated Ghanshyam Singh for the bypoll. Tiwari replaced former state Home Minister Narottam Mishra as the BJP candidate. Mishra had represented Datia for three consecutive terms from 2008 to 2018 but lost the seat in the 2023 Assembly elections.
The Manjalpur seat in Gujarat fell vacant following the demise of sitting BJP MLA Yogeshbhai Narandas Patel.
— ANI
Reader Comments
It's good to see democracy in action at the grassroots level. But I hope the focus remains on real issues like infrastructure, education, and healthcare rather than just political mudslinging. The bypoll in Datia will be an interesting contest between BJP's Ashutosh Tiwari and Congress's Ghanshyam Singh.
BJP is confident of a landslide in Bankipur, but Tejashwi Yadav says RJD will win. Let's wait for August 3. 😄 Politics aside, I hope the EC ensures smooth and fair voting across all three constituencies.
Interesting that Vivek Thakur mentioned the youth uniting behind BJP after the recent bill in Parliament. But I'm curious if regional issues will override national sentiments in these bypolls. In Manjalpur, the death of the sitting MLA adds an emotional factor for voters.
Bypolls are a vote on the government's performance. In Datia, Narottam Mishra's replacement by Ashutosh Tiwari shows how parties manage internal disputes. Hope the loser accepts the verdict gracefully, unlike some politicians we've seen recently. 🙄
Democracy is alive in these three states. But I wish more attention was given to improving voter turnout, especially among young people and women. The polls might be small, but they send a strong signal ahead of bigger elections. Let's see if Congress can hold its ground or BJP sweeps again.
We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.