Congress pulls off surprise win in Madhya Pradesh, takes down minister; BJP set to retain Budhni

Rawat’s exit was attributed to his discontent implicit the Congress announcing Satyapal Singh Sikravar (Neetu) arsenic its campaigner for the Morena Lok Sabha seat. Rawat was adequately rewarded for his determination with Chief Minister Mohan Yadav handing him the Forest Ministry.

Rawat’s determination to resign from the Assembly and articulation the BJP necessitated the first-ever bypolls successful Vijaypur. Rawat won the Vijaypur Assembly spot for the archetypal clip successful 1990 and retained it successful 1993. Though the BJP grabbed its power successful 1998, Rawat regained the spot successful 2003 and held it successful 2008 and 2013. He mislaid it again successful 2018, but past reclaimed it for Congress successful 2023, providing Congress a infinitesimal of uncommon jubilation successful a authorities wherever the enactment has different struggled to enactment relevant.

With a Cabinet curate successful the fray giving the contention the high-stakes tag, there were allegations of booth capturing and incidents of unit successful the aftermath of the polls.

Malhotra, who had served arsenic the president of the Saharia Development Authority, joined Congress successful 2024. His beardown ties to the Saharia assemblage and grassroot activism bolstered his run arsenic the assemblage forms a sizable elector basal of 60,000 successful Vijaypur constituency.

“In the 2023 elections, the tribals voted for Rawat due to the fact that helium represented the Congress, and tribals deserted him successful this spot due to the fact that Malhotra campaigned against him. Rawat has power successful the OBC communities but determination are astir 30,000 voters only,” a elder Congress person said.

Despite contesting arsenic an autarkic successful the 2023 elections, Malhotra garnered 44,000 votes which reflected the tribal enactment helium enjoys successful the Chambal portion and indicated his increasing influence, peculiarly among the marginalised groups.

Both parties kicked up a tempest with their assertive campaigning. Chief Minister Mohan Yadav and authorities Congress main Jitu Patwari visited the portion respective times. But lack of Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia for BJP’s run was conspicuous and raised questions connected the party’s unity during a important election.

With the Congress describing Rawat arsenic a “traitor” during its campaign, Malhotra projected himself arsenic “down to world and a affable politician” and attacked his rival claiming that “Vijaypur portion ranks archetypal successful malnutrition, tops the maternal and babe mortality rate, and is among 1 of the astir backward areas successful the country.”

The Mayawati-led BSP’s determination not to tract immoderate campaigner ensured that votes were not chipped distant arsenic successful 2023, BSP campaigner Dhara Singh Kushwaha bagged implicit 34,000 votes, predominantly from the Dalit and Kushwaha communities.

Meanwhile, successful Budhni constituency, BJP’s Ramakant Bhargava was starring by 11,310 votes against Congress’s Rajkumar Patel, according to the Election Commission website. The bypoll was necessitated aft erstwhile main curate Shivraj Singh Chouhan was elected to the Lok Sabha from Vidisha and helium vacated the seat. Chouhan was inducted into the BJP-led NDA Cabinet and allocated the cardinal agriculture ministry.