Low turnout marks bypolls in Bihar's Bankipur, MP's Datia & Gujarat's Manjalpur

New Delhi: The assembly bypolls for three seats in Bihar, MP and Gujarat recorded a low polling percentage.

In Bihar, the bypoll in Bankipur is a prestige battle for the BJP, as the seat was vacated by the party's national president Nitin Nabin. BJP has fielded Neeraj Kumar Sinha while Jan Suraaj leader Prashant Kishor is also in the fray along with RJD candidate Rekha Gupta. Bankipur is one of Bihar's most urbanised constituencies and is a BJP stronghold.

Polling has always been low in Bankipur, with just 34.31% voter turnout recorded. Voting picked up in the evening. In the 2025 assembly elections, there was 41.35% polling in Bankipur when Nitin Nabin defeated Rekha Gupta by 51,936 votes.


In Datia, Madhya Pradesh, 71.41% voting was recorded. In 2023, the seat recorded an 80% turnout. The seat was vacated after Congress MLA Rajendra Bharti was convicted in a case. The main contest is between Congress' Ghanshyam Singh and BJP's Ashutosh Tiwari.

In Manjalpur, Gujarat, 37.5% polling was recorded. In the 2022 elections, 63.61% voting was recorded. The seat fell vacant after the demise of Yogeshbhai Patel. The main contest is between BJP's Satish Patel and Bikhabhai Rabari of Congress.

Counting for the three seats will take place on August 3.