Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): Madhya Pradesh Congress president Jitu Patwari on Sunday expressed confidence in the party’s prospects in the upcoming Datia Assembly bypoll, saying Congress would win the seat "100%".
Addressing reporters, Patwari said, "Ghanshyam Singh has been given the ticket with the consensus of all senior leaders and workers. Congress will win the election there 100%."
The Congress announced Ghanshyam Singh as its candidate for the Datia Assembly bypoll on July 11. He is pitted against BJP candidate Ashutosh Tiwari in the high-stakes contest.
Following his nomination, Singh accused the BJP of promoting corruption and weakening the social fabric in the constituency.
Speaking to ANI, he said his priority would be to eliminate corruption and ensure that the benefits of development reach the people.
"The most important thing is to end corruption so that the public can fully benefit from the development work that has been done," Singh said.
He also said former minister Narottam Mishra would have been a much bigger electoral challenge than the BJP’s current candidate.
"There is a lot of difference. He (Narottam) was a very big challenge. This one is nothing. He will get as many votes as possible based on the party's strength, the government's strength and the administration's strength," Singh alleged.
Expressing concern over the political atmosphere in the constituency, Singh said, "The social fabric has deteriorated, political animosity has increased, and people treat each other as enemies. An opponent is an opponent, not an enemy."
The Datia seat fell vacant after the disqualification of Rajendra Bharti on April 2, 2026. The notification stated that the disqualification was under the provisions of Section 8 of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, and Article 191(1)(e) of the Constitution of India.
The bypoll has also witnessed political turbulence after supporters of senior BJP leader Narottam Mishra staged large-scale protests over the denial of a party ticket.
The demonstrations turned violent, leaving eight police personnel injured and disrupting traffic on National Highway-44 for nearly 11 hours.
