In a significant political development, Madhya Pradesh BJP President Hemant Khandelwal met former State Home Minister Narottam Mishra in Bhopal. The meeting, held at Mishra’s official residence, lasted nearly half an hour. The BJP described it as a courtesy meeting between the senior party leaders, sparking speculation on the party’s strategy for the upcoming bypoll in Datia Assembly constituency.
Sources revealed that the discussion primarily focused on electoral preparedness in Datia, a constituency traditionally associated with Narottam Mishra. Mishra, a five-time former minister, had previously won the Datia Assembly seat thrice before losing in the last election to Congress’ Rajendra Bharti in November-December 2023.
The renewed attention on Datia follows Bharti’s conviction in a bank fraud case, leading to his disqualification from the Madhya Pradesh Assembly on April 2. Subsequently, the Delhi High Court issued notices on Bharti’s petitions challenging his conviction and sentence, with the next hearing scheduled for April 15. The court also sought the Madhya Pradesh government’s response to Bharti’s plea and refrained from granting immediate relief.
Despite Bharti’s plea to halt the election schedule announcement for the vacant Datia Assembly seat, the court did not intervene in the electoral process. Bharti, seeking urgent intervention, expressed concerns over the potential harm to his political career if the election schedule proceeds while his appeal is pending. Following his conviction, Bharti’s disqualification necessitated the possibility of a bypoll in Datia.
