On eve of Datia bypoll result, Congress suspends former MLA Rajendra Bharti

On the eve of the counting of votes for the Datia Assembly by-election in Madhya Pradesh, the Congress party on Monday suspended former MLA Rajendra Bharti from its primary membership. The suspension comes a day after the party's candidate in the bypoll, Ghanshyam Singh, accused Mr. Bharti of attempting to sabotage his campaign and of colluding with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

The action was announced by Congress general secretary in-charge of Madhya Pradesh, Harish Chaudhary, in a statement. "With the approval of the president of the All India Congress Committee (AICC), Mallikarjun Kharge Ji, Rajendra Bharti, former MLA from Datia, is hereby suspended from the primary membership of the Indian National Congress with immediate effect," the statement said.

The by-election to the Datia seat, held on July 30, recorded a voter turnout of 71.44 per cent, according to the Election Commission. The votes are scheduled to be counted on August 3. The bypoll was necessitated after Mr. Bharti was disqualified in April following his conviction in a bank fraud case.

In the run-up to the election, the Congress fielded Ghanshyam Singh, a former MLA from the nearby Sewda constituency and a member of the erstwhile Datia royal family. The BJP, on the other hand, gave its ticket to debutant Ashutosh Tiwari, overlooking senior leader and former state home minister Narottam Mishra, who had represented Datia for three consecutive terms before losing to Mr. Bharti in the 2023 Assembly elections.

During the final days of campaigning, Mr. Bharti and Mr. Singh levelled allegations against each other, including claims of receiving funding from BJP leaders. Mr. Singh accused Mr. Bharti of not supporting his campaign and of conspiring with the BJP. Mr. Bharti, in response, alleged that Mr. Singh had been in league with Mr. Mishra, who was denied a ticket by the BJP.

Speaking to The Hindu, Mr. Bharti's son, Ankit Bharti, said: "Ghanshyam Singh has been very close to Narottam Mishra for several years and has worked against Congress candidates in the past. Even for this election he has received funding from Narottam as he is also working against BJP because he did not get the ticket. But he [Mr. Singh] has alleged that my father has received funding from the BJP to support their candidate [Mr. Tiwari]."

Mr. Bharti and Mr. Mishra have been political rivals for more than a decade. Mr. Bharti ended Mr. Mishra's three-term tenure as Datia MLA in the 2023 election. A leader close to Mr. Bharti also suggested that Mr. Bharti had a role in the BJP's decision to deny Mr. Mishra the ticket.

The suspension, coming just before the result, adds a layer of uncertainty to an already contentious contest. While the Congress has cited the allegations levelled by its candidate, Mr. Bharti maintains that the accusations are baseless. The party's decision is effective immediately.