Prashant Kishor jolts BJP, ends three-decade hold in Bankipur; Congress retains Datia seat

New Delhi | Ahmedabad: The bypoll results for three assembly seats have come as a setback for BJP, particularly in Bihar's Bankipur constituency. While Congress retained Datia in Madhya Pradesh, BJP held on to Manjalpur in Gujarat. In Datia, Congress' Ghanshyam Singh retained the seat, defeating BJP's Ashutosh Tiwari by 6,016 votes. In Manjalpur, BJP's Satish Patel registered a comfortable victory, defeating Congress nominee Bhikha Rabari by 30,499 votes.

In Bankipur, a BJP stronghold for more than three decades, Jan Suraaj founder Prashant Kishor secured his first electoral victory, winning the seat by 19,324 votes. In the 2025 assembly elections, BJP had won the constituency by 51,936 votes with 62% votes in its favour. The then state BJP chief Nitin Nabin had polled 98,299 votes. In comparison, BJP candidate Neeraj Sinha managed 44,827 votes, accounting for 34% of the vote share, while Kishor secured 64,151 votes, accounting for 49% votes.

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Located in the heart of Patna, Bankipur is one of Bihar's most urbanised and affluent assembly constituencies, where BJP has maintained its dominance since 1995. For BJP, Bankipur is comparable to Sahibabad in Uttar Pradesh, with a strong cadre base and support among educated, upper-caste, high-income voters, along with sections of other communities.

The bypoll was necessitated after MLA and state minister Nitin Nabin was elevated as BJP's national president. The election came just eight months after the assembly polls in which NDA secured a landslide victory. In April, BJP got its first chief minister in Bihar in Samrat Choudhary. Given these factors, the contest had become a prestige battle for the party. What initially appeared to be a cakewalk turned into a serious challenge after Kishor announced his candidature.

Also Read | Prashant Kishor secures maiden electoral win with commanding lead in BJP bastion Bankipur

Jan Suraaj had failed to win a single seat in the 2025 assembly elections. By capturing one of BJP's strongest bastions, Kishor has for now challenged the party's dominance among its core support base. "I thank the people of Bankipur for this victory. This is a message to the BJP central leadership by the people of Bihar that they cannot make anyone the chief minister and rule the way they want. BJP should replace Samrat Choudhary with a well-educated leader and should start thinking about the development of Bihar. If not, such setbacks are going to continue for the party," Kishor said after his victory.

BJP's Bihar president Sanjay Saraogi accepted the verdict and said the party would analyse the results. "We are for Bankipur and Bankipur is ours. We will analyse the results and work on our shortcomings. I congratulate the winning candidate," Saraogi told ET.