BJP chief Nitin Nabin reacts as Prashant Kishor wrests his family seat: ‘Unexpected’

BJP national president Nitin Nabin thanked voters in Gujarat for helping the party retain the Manjalpur Assembly seat and congratulated workers on the victory.

BJP national president Nitin Nabin on Monday accepted the verdict in the three Assembly bypolls and said the party would conduct a detailed review after losing the Bankipur seat in Bihar and Datia in Madhya Pradesh.

On X, Nabin thanked voters in Gujarat for helping the BJP retain the Manjalpur Assembly seat and congratulated party workers on the victory.

"We accept the mandate received in today's three assembly by-elections," he said. Thanking the people of Manjalpur, Nabin congratulated its workers and office-bearers for the win.

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Referring to the defeats in Bankipur and Datia, Nabin admitted that the BJP had fallen short of expectations.

"In Bankipur and Datia, we did not receive the expected mandate. We will conduct a thorough introspection of the election results in both these areas with complete seriousness," he said.

He added that the BJP would return to the people "with renewed energy and determination" and continue working to further strengthen their trust.

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Why Bankipur mattered for Nitin Nabin

The Bankipur bypoll carried high political stakes for the BJP because it was held in the party's traditional stronghold and a seat closely associated with Nitin Nabin.

The constituency has remained with the BJP since 1995. Nitin Nabin himself represented Bankipur for four consecutive terms and built it into one of the party's safest urban seats in Bihar.

The bypoll became necessary after he resigned as an MLA following his elevation as the BJP's national president.

The BJP fielded Neeraj Kumar to retain the seat, but Jan Suraaj Party founder Prashant Kishor defeated him by 19,324 votes, handing the BJP one of its most significant electoral setbacks in Bihar in recent years.

Bankipur had long been considered a BJP bastion. In the 2025 Assembly election, the BJP won the seat by a margin of more than 50,000 votes.

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After the results, Nabin told reporters that the Congress merely retained a seat it already held in Datia and pointed out that the BJP had increased its vote tally there by around 1,700 compared to the previous Assembly election.

“The public's trust in us in a democracy is evident - after the last Assembly election, winning all 29 out of 29 Lok Sabha seats was accomplished by the Bharatiya Janata Party for the first time since independence,” he said.

He also spoke of the party's recent electoral record, saying that the BJP won all 29 Lok Sabha seats in Madhya Pradesh, retained its Budhni Assembly seat in a bypoll and even wrested the Amarwara seat from the Congress.

"We presented our view, Congress presented their view, and whatever verdict the public gave, we humbly accept it," Nabin said and added that the BJP would return to the people with greater strength in the upcoming elections.

Anita Goswami is a Senior Content Producer at Hindustan Times, where she primarily covers Indian and international news. With four years of industry experience, she has led coverage of Indian General elections, Assembly elections, and national polls in the United States, Canada, Bangladesh, and Nepal. Her reporting covers global wars and major events, including Operation Sindoor, Sheikh Hasina's ouster and the Mahakumbh Mela. She verifies facts and uses clear sources to ensure accurate reporting. As former Chief Copy Editor at Storytailors, she managed teams to produce top-quality content for networks like NDTV, Profit, CNBC-TV18, Upstox and News18. Her work is featured in NDTV, Meaww, and Global Pulse. Throughout her tenure, Anita has collaborated with and been mentored by top industry experts. When not reading, Anita can be found outdoors or at a bakery. Fields of interest: Indian political history, international elections, historical policy analysis, global conflicts, cultural events, Formula 1, art, media ethics and reporting on socio-political change over time.Read More