This came after the BJP faced embarrassing defeats in assembly bypolls in Bankipur of Bihar, where Jan Suraaj Party founder Prashant Kishor wrested the seat vacated by the ruling party chief Nitin Nabin. The saffron party also suffered defeat in Madhya Pradesh’s Datia assembly seat. In Gujarat, the BJP retained the Manjalpur assembly seat in Vadodara district, with its candidate Satish Govindbhai Patel defeating his Congress challenger and former minister Bhikhabhai Rabari by 30,630 votes. Bankipur assembly seat in Bihar was last held by Nabin before he resigned as an MLA to take up the national role, thus necessitating the byelection. “We extend our warm congratulations to all the dedicated workers and office-bearers of the BJP for this victory,” the BJP president added.