Congress Moves Against Rajendra Bharati Over Alleged Betrayal

Just a day before the Datia by‑election outcome will be declared, the Congress party has taken the rare step of ejecting former legislator Rajendra Bharati. The expulsion follows internal betrayal claims voiced by Congress’s candidate Ghanashyam Singh, who warned of sabotage within the party ranks during his campaign. Bharati’s seat fell vacant after a Delhi court convicted him in a cooperative bank fraud case, imposing a three‑year term and a monetary penalty, which automatically voided his assembly membership. To retain the constituency, Congress has fielded Ghanashyam Singh, who is receiving active support from state president Jeetu Patwari, opposition figure Umang Singhar, and ex‑chief minister Digvijay Singh. In contrast, the BJP, aiming to reverse its 2023 defeat, swapped Narottam Mishra for Ashutosh Tiwari and launched a road‑show led by chief minister Mohan Yadav, featuring Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan, Jyotiraditya Sindhia, and state president Hemant Khandela. The peaceful voting on July 30 recorded a 71.44% turnout, down from the 80% of the previous election. Counting began on Monday at the Government Polytechnic College and is expected to wrap up by the afternoon of August 3. The central contest pits BJP’s Ashutosh Tiwari against Congress’s Ghanashyam Singh, with independent Damodar Singh Yadav also in the race, making a total of 21 candidates.