An inside view of the vote counting center. (Source: Express Archives)
Three Assembly bypolls across Bihar, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh enter the decisive phase on Monday as counting of votes begins at 8 am. Results are expected later in the day for the three seats — Bankipur in Bihar, Manjalpur in Gujarat and Datia in Madhya Pradesh — where polling was held on July 30. While the BJP and Congress are locked in contests in Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh, all eyes are on Bihar’s Bankipur seat, where Jan Suraaj founder Prashant Kishor is making his electoral debut.
In Bihar: The Bankipur bypoll has become the most closely watched contest, with Kishor taking on BJP candidate Neeraj Kumar Sinha in a field of 26 candidates. Around 3.8 lakh voters were eligible to cast their ballots. On the polling day, Kishor alleged that the Patna Senior Superintendent of Police was attempting to influence the bypoll and earlier accused the BJP of misusing the administration and police, claiming that the ruling party had resorted to such measures because it was losing the election. The BJP has projected a comfortable victory, while the RJD has expressed confidence of wresting the seat.
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Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh: Meanwhile, in Gujarat, polling was disrupted by the Congress leaders who staged protest outside the Vadodara Collector’s office. There, the contest was a direct fight between the BJP and Congress. The party accused BJP leaders of campaigning on polling day in violation of election rules and alleged that the Election Commission failed to act despite being provided with video evidence. Datia in Madhya Pradesh is also expected to witness a keen BJP-Congress contest, with over 2.2 lakh voters deciding the fate of 21 candidates.
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