Datia, July 2 (IANS) The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Thursday issued the notification for the bye-election to Madhya Pradesh’s Datia Assembly constituency, setting the stage for a keenly-watched political contest between the ruling BJP and the Opposition Congress.

According to the poll schedule, nominations will be accepted from July 6 to July 13. Scrutiny of nomination papers will be held on July 14, while candidates can withdraw their nominations until July 16.

Voting will take place on July 30 and the results will be declared on August 3.

The bypoll has become necessary after the Datia Assembly seat fell vacant following the disqualification of Congress MLA Rajendra Bharti.

Bharti’s membership of the Assembly was terminated after he was convicted in a criminal case, attracting disqualification under the provisions of the Representation of the People Act.

The Datia bye-election is politically significant as the constituency was represented for years by former Madhya Pradesh Home Minister Narottam Mishra, one of the BJP’s senior leaders.

In the 2023 Assembly elections, Mishra suffered a shock defeat after Congress candidate Rajendra Bharti defeated him by 7,742 votes, ending the BJP leader’s long winning streak from the constituency.

“The Election Commission has issued the notification for the bye-election to the Datia Assembly constituency. The nomination process will commence on July 6, polling will be held on July 30, and counting of votes will take place on August 3,” the Commission said in the notification.

Political activity is expected to gather pace in the constituency over the next few days, with both the BJP and the Congress likely to announce their candidates soon.

While the BJP will be aiming to regain one of its traditional strongholds, the Congress will seek to retain the seat despite Bharti’s disqualification.

The bypoll will be closely watched as it will provide an indication of the organisational strength and electoral preparedness of both parties in the Gwalior-Chambal region ahead of future political contests in Madhya Pradesh.

–IANS

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