Former Congress MLA Rajendra Bharti faced a setback as the Delhi High Court postponed the hearing in his bank fraud conviction case to July 14. This delay further diminishes his chances of seeking relief before the Datia Assembly by-election. Bharti had challenged the three-year jail term imposed on him by a Delhi MP-MLA court in the bank fraud matter.
The hearing, scheduled before Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma, could not proceed due to time constraints as the court was dealing with priority cases. This marks the third time the hearing has been rescheduled. Following his conviction on April 2, Bharti lost his Madhya Pradesh Assembly membership under the Representation of the People Act, which disqualifies lawmakers sentenced to two years or more in prison.
After his disqualification, the Assembly Secretariat declared the Datia seat vacant and informed the Election Commission. The Datia district administration has informed the Election Commission that preparations for the bypoll are in place. Political circles anticipate the Election Commission’s announcement of the by-election schedule soon.
Bharti, a prominent Congress figure in the Gwalior-Chambal region, clinched the Datia seat in 2023 by defeating senior BJP leader Narottam Mishra. The upcoming Datia by-election is poised to witness a direct face-off between the BJP and Congress, shaping up as a crucial political battle in Madhya Pradesh’s Gwalior-Chambal region. Both parties have initiated groundwork in the constituency.
With the High Court setting July 14 for the next hearing, Bharti’s legal recourse before the bypoll seems constrained. If the Election Commission schedules the election before that date, the Congress will have to contest without him.
