Vote Counting Begins for Gujarat's Manjalpur, Bihar's Bankipur and MP's Datia Bypolls

Counting of votes for the Assembly by-elections in Gujarat's Manjalpur, Bihar's Bankipur and Madhya Pradesh's Datia constituencies began on Monday morning amid tight security arrangements. The results are expected to be declared later in the day.

Focus on Gujarat's Manjalpur

The Manjalpur Assembly by-election was necessitated following the demise of BJP MLA and former Gujarat minister Yogesh Patel. The constituency recorded a voter turnout of 37.5 per cent during polling held on July 30.

The principal contest is between BJP candidate Satish Govindbhai Patel and Congress candidate Bhikhabhai Rabari, with both parties hoping to secure the prestigious Vadodara seat.

Datia Sees High Voter Turnout

In Madhya Pradesh, the Datia Assembly bypoll recorded a 71.44 per cent voter turnout. The main contest is between BJP's Ashutosh Tiwari and Congress candidate Ghanshyam Singh.

The bypoll is also being viewed as the first electoral test for newly appointed BJP state president Hemant Khandelwal, making the outcome politically significant for the party.

25 Candidates in Fray in Bankipur

In Bihar, counting is underway at Kala Bhawan in Patna for the Bankipur Assembly bypoll, where the fate of 25 candidates will be decided.

Authorities have deployed elaborate security arrangements, with Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) remaining under a three-layer security cover until counting commenced.

Political parties across the three states are closely monitoring early trends as counting progresses, with the outcomes expected to provide key political signals ahead of upcoming electoral contests.