Major setback for BJP: Prashant Kishor wins Bankipur, Congress captures Datia

PATNA: The BJP suffered a major setback in the first Assembly bypolls held after the NEET-UG question paper leak, with the party losing key contests in Bihar and Madhya Pradesh. Jan Suraaj Party president Prashant Kishor won the Bankipur Assembly bypoll in Bihar, defeating BJP candidate Neeraj Kumar. The by-election was necessitated by the resignation of BJP national president Nitin Nabin from the seat.

In another setback for the BJP, Congress candidate Ghanshyam Singh won the Datia Assembly bypoll in Madhya Pradesh, defeating BJP's Ashutosh Tiwari. The bypolls were the BJP's first electoral test since nationwide student protests erupted over the NEET-UG question paper leak.

Prashant Kishor took an early lead in Bankipur and maintained it throughout the counting. By the end of the 16th round, he had secured 31,742 votes, staying ahead of Neeraj Kumar. The victory marks a significant breakthrough for the Jan Suraaj Party after its disappointing performance in the 2025 Bihar Assembly elections. Bankipur had been represented by Nitin Nabin for nearly two decades.

In Datia, Ghanshyam Singh registered a significant victory over Ashutosh Tiwari in a constituency long considered one of the BJP's safest seats in Madhya Pradesh. He won by a margin of 6,016 votes, securing 66,757 votes against Tiwari's 57,277, according to the latest figures.