By Kavita Sharma
Photo Credit: The Suncity News
Patna, July 30, 2026: The Election Commission of India (ECI) has announced the schedule for the by-election to the Bankipur Assembly Constituency seat number 182 in Bihar on Thursday.
According to the notification issued by the Commission, polling will be held on July 30, 2026, while the counting of votes and declaration of results will take place on August 3, 2026.
Along with Bankipur, by-elections have also been announced for one assembly seat each in Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat.
The by-election in Bankipur has become necessary following the resignation of senior BJP National President Nitin Nabin from the Bihar Legislative Assembly
A multiple-term MLA from the constituency and former minister in the Bihar government, Nitin Nabin, was recently appointed as the National President of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
He was subsequently elected to the Rajya Sabha, after which he resigned from his Assembly seat, paving the way for the by-election.
Bankipur seat holds political significance:
Located in the heart of Patna, the Bankipur Assembly Constituency is regarded as one of the BJP’s strongest urban bastions in Bihar.
The upcoming by-election is expected to be closely watched as it is being viewed as a key political contest ahead of the next Assembly elections.
For the BJP, the challenge will be to retain a seat it has dominated for years, while the opposition Mahagathbandhan (Grand Alliance) will seek to capitalize on the contest to strengthen its political narrative and demonstrate its electoral strength in the state capital.
According to the Election Commission’s schedule, the issue of the notification and commencement of nomination filing will start from July 6, and the last date of filing the nomination is July 13.
The scrutiny of nomination papers will take place on July 14, and the last date of withdrawal of the nomination papers will take place on July 16. The polling will be scheduled on July 30, and counting of votes and declaration of results will be announced on August 3. The entire election process will be completed on August 4.
The Election Commission has stated that the by-election will be conducted using the updated electoral roll, and all necessary administrative and security preparations have already begun.
By-election in three states:
Apart from Bankipur in Bihar, the Election Commission has also announced by-elections for two other Assembly constituencies in Datia, Madhya Pradesh and Manjalpur in Gujarat.
With the announcement of the election schedule, political activity has intensified across all three states.
In Bihar, the Bankipur by-election is expected to attract significant attention, with the BJP aiming to retain its traditional stronghold while the opposition seeks to convert the contest into a broader political statement ahead of future electoral battles.
Also Read: CM Nitish Kumar and Nitin Nabin resigned from the legislator posts in the Bihar Assembly.
EOM.
