Congress Retains Datia Seat in MP Bypoll, BJP's Mishra Factor Fails

The Congress party on Monday retained the Datia assembly seat in Madhya Pradesh, with its candidate Ghanshyam Singh defeating Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) rival Ashutosh Tiwari by 6,016 votes. The byelection was marked by visible differences within the BJP over the choice of candidate, after the party denied a ticket to former state Home Minister Narottam Mishra.

According to election officials, Singh secured 66,757 votes across 15 rounds of counting, while Tiwari polled 60,741 votes. Azad Samaj Party candidate Damodar Yadav finished third with 22,527 votes. A total of 21 candidates contested the bypoll, which recorded a voter turnout of 71.44 per cent.

State Congress chief Jitu Patwari described the outcome as a victory for the people of Datia and a signal for the 2028 assembly elections. Speaking to reporters in Bhopal, Patwari claimed that Datia voters had exposed the BJP-led state government's failures, alleging corruption and arrogance. He said the result laid the foundation for change in Madhya Pradesh.

Congress candidate Ghanshyam Singh echoed similar views, saying the verdict marked the beginning of the end for the BJP. He stated that the party was working towards making Rahul Gandhi the next Prime Minister. Singh also outlined his priorities for the constituency, including promoting communal harmony, ending political vendetta, and tackling gambling and betting rackets.

The byelection was necessitated after a Delhi court in April sentenced sitting Congress MLA Rajendra Bharti to three years' imprisonment in a cheating case, leading to the cancellation of his assembly membership. Bharti had won the Datia seat in the 2023 elections by defeating Narottam Mishra by over 7,700 votes.

For the bypoll, the BJP chose Tiwari over Mishra, a move that some observers said caused friction within the local party unit. During counting, Congress candidate Singh at one point held a lead of 12,607 votes, but Tiwari narrowed the gap in the final rounds, though it was not enough to overcome the deficit.

Celebrations broke out at the Congress state headquarters in Bhopal, with party workers distributing sweets. The result is seen as a morale booster for the opposition party in the state, where the BJP has been in power since 2003.