03 August,2026 10:29 PM IST | Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh) | mid-day online correspondent
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav. Pic/ X
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav on Monday accepted the verdict in the Datia Assembly by-election, where the Congress retained the seat, while claiming that the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had expanded its vote base despite the defeat.
Speaking to ANI after the results were announced, Yadav said, "It is a different matter that we received 1,700 more votes than we did in the last Assembly election. The trust that the public places in us through elections and democracy reflects our own faith in the democratic process."
Highlighting the BJP's recent electoral performance in the state, Yadav expressed confidence that the party would bounce back in future elections.
"Since the last Assembly election, the Bharatiya Janata Party has won all 29 Lok Sabha seats, marking the first time since Independence that the BJP has achieved such a result. The BJP has also won all three Rajya Sabha seats. However, elections in a democracy serve this very purpose. We presented our views, and the Congress presented its views. We accept the people's mandate and hope to contest and win the upcoming elections with even greater determination and enthusiasm," he said, ANI reported.
The Congress retained the Datia Assembly constituency after its candidate, Ghanshyam Singh, defeated BJP nominee Ashutosh Tiwari by a margin of 6,016 votes.
Singh secured 66,757 votes, while Tiwari polled 60,741 votes after all 15 rounds of counting.
Voting for the high-profile Datia Assembly by-election was held on July 30.
The bypoll was necessitated after sitting Congress MLA Rajendra Bharti was disqualified in April following his conviction and sentencing by a Delhi court in a bank fraud and cheating case.
Following his defeat, BJP candidate Ashutosh Tiwari thanked voters, party workers and party leaders for their support and said he would accept the people's mandate with humility.
Speaking to ANI, Tiwari said, "Every one of our dedicated workers has worked with full enthusiasm. I express my heartfelt gratitude to the voters, our workers and party leaders for their blessings, hard work, confidence and commitment to advancing the party's ideology and taking the government's welfare schemes to the grassroots. I will accept whatever mandate the people give with humility."
Tiwari replaced senior BJP leader Narottam Mishra as the party's candidate. Mishra had represented the Datia Assembly constituency for three consecutive terms between 2008 and 2018 before losing the seat in the 2023 Assembly elections.
Reacting to the victory, Madhya Pradesh Congress president Jitu Patwari said the result had exposed the "real face" of the BJP government in the state and reflected the people's desire for change.
"This election has exposed the real face of the BJP government in Madhya Pradesh. This is the result of the collective effort of our team in the state. The people have given a signal for change. Even if Narottam Mishra had contested, he would have lost," Patwari said.
(With ANI inputs)
