Congress Retains Datia Seat as BJP Vows Disciplinary Review

Ghanshyam Singh of the Indian National Congress retained the Datia assembly seat in Madhya Pradesh, defeating Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) nominee Ashutosh Tiwari by 6,016 votes. Singh secured 66,757 votes (42.39%), while Tiwari received 60,741 votes (38.57%). The by-election, which saw a 71.44% voter turnout, was triggered by the disqualification of former Congress MLA Rajendra Bharti following a three-year prison sentence for cheating.

Following the loss, Madhya Pradesh BJP President Hemant Khandelwal announced a comprehensive review of the result and warned of disciplinary action against party members responsible for internal dissidence. The campaign was marked by friction after senior leader Narottam Mishra was denied a ticket in favor of Tiwari. Chief Minister Mohan Yadav accepted the verdict, though he noted the BJP's vote count increased by 1,700 compared to the 2023 assembly elections.

Congress leaders Jitu Patwari and Kamal Nath characterized the victory as a sign of national change and a precursor to the 2028 Assembly elections. They attributed the win to public support for Rahul Gandhi's initiatives and a rejection of the current regime. In a separate by-election, the BJP's Satish Patel won the Manjalpur assembly seat in Gujarat by a margin of 30,630 votes, defeating Congress candidate Bhikhabhai Rabari.