Congress Suspends Former MLA Rajendra Bharti Ahead of Datiya By-Election Results

Suspension of Rajendra Bharti by Congress

On August 2, in Bhopal, prior to the announcement of the by-election results for the Datiya assembly seat in Madhya Pradesh, the Congress party suspended former MLA Rajendra Bharti from its primary membership on Sunday night. This decision was confirmed through an official statement from the party. The need for a by-election arose due to the termination of Bharti's assembly membership.

Background of Rajendra Bharti's Suspension

In the 2023 assembly elections, Bharti had defeated the then Home Minister of the state, Narottam Mishra, by a margin of over 7,700 votes. However, in April of this year, a Delhi court sentenced him to three years in prison for a fraud case, leading to the loss of his assembly seat and necessitating the by-election in Datiya.

Candidates in the Datiya By-Election

The Congress party has nominated Ghanshyam Singh as its candidate for the by-election, where he will face off against Ashutosh Tiwari from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Damodar Singh Yadav from the Azad Samaj Party, and 19 other candidates. Notably, the BJP has not re-nominated Narottam Mishra, who was defeated by Bharti in the previous elections.

Bharti's Response to His Suspension

In response to his suspension, Bharti stated to reporters that it would not affect him and that he intends to demonstrate his strength in the next assembly elections. He alleged that the entire situation was a conspiracy orchestrated by senior BJP leader Narottam Mishra, claiming that the Congress candidate Ghanshyam Singh colluded with Mishra during the elections. Bharti emphasized that his struggle against Mishra has always been strong and will continue.

Public Sentiment and Voter Turnout

Describing the suspension as unjust, Bharti asserted that the public would respond in the 2028 assembly elections. The voting for the Datiya assembly by-election took place on July 30, with a voter turnout of 71.44%. The counting of votes is scheduled for August 3.