Key Contestants Gear Up for By‑elections in Bankipur, Datia, Manjalpur

Delhi – The race for three open assembly seats sharpens as parties finalize their candidates ahead of the July 30 by‑polls. In Bihar's Bankipur, the BJP has nominated Neeraj Kumar Sinha, while the Congress contender is Ghanashyam Singh and Jan Suraj's Prashant Kishore also throws his hat in the ring. The RJD's Rekha Gupta adds another dimension to the contest.

Madhya Pradesh's Datia sees BJP's Ashutosh Tiwari pitted against Congress's Ghanashyam Singh in a closely watched duel. Security forces have earmarked 291 polling stations, encompassing 185 rural and 106 urban booths, with a total electorate of 2,20,410 voters.

In Gujarat, the BJP fields Satish Patel to retain the seat vacated by the late Yogesh Patel. Congress counters with former state minister Bhaikabhai Rabari. Over 2.6 lakh voters will decide the outcome across 422 polling locations, guarded by central paramilitary units and Bihar police.

The Election Commission assures the use of EVMs and VVPAT for transparent tallying, with results expected on August 3.