The membership of Congress MLA Rajendra Bharti from Datia in the Madhya Pradesh Legislative Assembly has been revoked due to his conviction in a cooperative bank fraud case by a Delhi court. Following a three-year prison sentence and a fine of Rs 100,000 imposed on April 2, 2026, Bharti stands disqualified as per the Supreme Court’s 2013 order, leading to a vacant seat in the Assembly. The notification confirming this was issued on April 2.
The decision was made swiftly after the Rouse Avenue Court in Delhi announced the sentencing of Bharti and a co-accused in the case. Madhya Pradesh Congress leaders Jitu Patwari and P.C. Sharma raised concerns about the late-night operations of the Assembly Secretariat, alleging it was opened specifically for Bharti’s membership cancellation. Bharti was found guilty of various offenses including criminal conspiracy, cheating, and forgery under the Indian Penal Code.
The case revolves around alleged irregularities in a bank fixed deposit under Bharti’s mother’s name dating back to 1998. The court noted that Bharti, along with the co-accused and others, conspired to cheat the bank by extending the fixed deposit beyond its original tenure. Bharti had requested the Supreme Court to transfer his trial from Gwalior to Delhi. Notably, he had won the Datia seat in the 2023 Assembly elections after finishing as a runner-up in previous elections.
