Datia bypoll results: Congress takes lead over BJP after fourth round of counting

Congress`s Ghanshyam Singh leads in MP`s Datia bypolls (Pic/Screengrab from eci.gov.in)

The contest for the Datia Assembly by-election in Madhya Pradesh has tightened as Congress candidate Ghanshyam Singh took a narrow lead over BJP's Ashutosh Tiwari after the fourth round of counting on Monday.

According to the latest data from the Election Commission of India (ECI), Ghanshyam Singh has secured 31,436 votes, leading by a margin of 3,295 votes. Whereas BJP's Ashutosh Tiwari is currently trailing with a total of 28,141 votes.

Speaking to the media, Congress candidate Ghanshyam expressed confidence that his lead would widen as counting progresses.

He added, "In the third round, I'm ahead by 33 votes, and in the fourth, we'll have a lead of eight or nine hundred. I'll be ahead by more than a thousand, and this lead will grow with each round," as cited by ANI.

Congress candidate denies taking support from former Home Minister Narottam Mishra

The Congress candidate further said, "No, he (Narottam Mishra) did not support me. But yes, many of his workers were more upset with the BJP. They helped me quietly. Narottam Mishra did not help me."

This marks a significant shift in the trend from the initial round of counting, where the BJP candidate held a lead of over 1,100 votes.

Prasahant Kishor leads in Bankipur by-polls

Meanwhile, in Bihar's Bankipur (AC-182), Prashant Kishor of the Jan Suraaj Party maintained a steady lead over his rivals as counting entered the sixth round. According to the latest data from the Election Commission of India (ECI), Kishor has secured 29,752 votes, leading by a significant margin of 8,202 votes.

Earlier, Prashant Kishor said he was not looking for a "safe seat" and had deliberately chosen to contest from Bankipur, a long-standing BJP bastion, to send a message that Bihar's voters should move beyond caste and religion while exercising their franchise.

He had also urged people to stop voting out of fear for either Lalu Prasad Yadav or the BJP. Speaking to ANI, Kishor said he had consciously avoided contesting from a politically safe constituency.

In Bihar, the by-election for the Bankipur seat was necessitated following the resignation of the sitting member, Nitin Nabin, on March 30, 2026. The seat has remained vacant since his departure from the state legislative assembly

(With inputs from ANI)