While Cong MLA moves court, BJP gears up for Datia bypoll

Bhopal: Days after being disqualified from the Assembly following his conviction and a three-year suspended sentence in a bank fraud case, former Congress MLA Rajendra Bharti has moved the Delhi high court challenging the Rouse Avenue Court's verdict.While the Congress has mounted a legal challenge to Bharti's disqualification, the BJP has begun preparations for a bypoll to fill the vacant Datia Assembly seat. BJP state president Hemant Khandelwal visited the residence of former state home minister Narottam Mishra, who was the party's candidate in the 2023 Assembly elections but lost to Bharti by 7,742 votes. The seat was declared vacant after the Assembly secretariat issued a late-night order disqualifying Bharti following his conviction. Amid questions over the timing, Speaker Narendra Singh Tomar said the disqualification order was issued after he was informed of Bharti's conviction by a "Mr Gautam". According to BJP sources, Khandelwal and Mishra also held a closed-door meeting on Tuesday.Unless overturned by the high court, a bypoll will be required in Datia within six months. The development has also raised concerns within the Congress ahead of the Rajya Sabha elections, as Bharti's disqualification reduces the party's Assembly strength.The Congress' strength in the Assembly has been reduced to 63 after Bharti's disqualification. Compounding its worries further, two of its 63 members — Mukesh Malhotra, the Vijaypur MLA who lost his right to vote in the Rajya Sabha election after a Supreme Court order and Bina MLA Nirmala Sapre, whose defection case is under adjudication by HC.With a minimum of 58 assembly votes required to secure an Upper House seat, the Congress's strength of 61 members should be enough to clinch the lone Rajya Sabha seat for its candidate. However, the party fears cross-voting by a section of its disgruntled MLAs.LoP Umang Singhar told TOI, "The BJP has a history of bringing down elected govts through money power and weakening democratic values." BJP's state spokesperson Ashish Agarwal said, "The Congress should introspect why its elected leaders or candidates are embroiled in criminal cases. We are ready to tackle any situation."