Bypolls begin in three Assembly seats across states

Voting began Thursday for by-elections in Bankipur (Bihar), Datia (Madhya Pradesh) and Manjalpur (Gujarat) Assembly constituencies. Counting will take place on August 3. The Bankipur seat fell vacant after BJP's Nitin Nabin resigned following his Rajya Sabha election; the BJP fielded Neeraj Kumar Sinha. Datia's seat was vacated by the disqualification of Congress MLA Rajendra Bharti; BJP candidate Ashutosh Tiwari faces Congress's Ghanshyam Singh. Manjalpur's bypoll follows the death of sitting BJP MLA Yogeshbhai Narandas Patel.