Datia Assembly Bypoll 2026: High-stakes prestige fight for BJP and Congress as transgender candidate draws focus

The Datia Assembly by-election has turned into a major prestige battle between the BJP and Congress following Rajendra Bharti's disqualification. The inclusion of transgender leader Sanjana Singh Kinnar has added a unique social layer to the July 30 poll

Datia (Madhya Pradesh): The Datia Assembly by-election in Madhya Pradesh has evolved into a high-stakes political contest for both the BJP and the Congress, with 22 candidates remaining in the fray after the withdrawal of nominations.

While the electoral battle is essentially a straight fight between the BJP and the Congress, the candidature of transgender leader Sanjana Singh Kinnar has added a fresh social and political dimension to the campaign.

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The ruling BJP has fielded Ashutosh Tiwari, banking on its organisational strength to reclaim a seat it lost in the 2023 Assembly elections.

The Congress has nominated Ghanshyam Singh, hoping to retain the constituency despite the disqualification of its former MLA Rajendra Bharti.

The bypoll was necessitated after Congress MLA Rajendra Bharti was disqualified under Section 8 of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, following his conviction in a fraud case.

Bharti had stunned the BJP in the 2023 Assembly polls by defeating former Home Minister Narottam Mishra by 7,742 votes, ending the veteran BJP leader’s long dominance in the constituency.

With Datia considered a politically sensitive seat in the Bundelkhand region, the bypoll has become a prestige battle for both parties. For the BJP, a victory would help erase the memory of its unexpected defeat in 2023 and reinforce its political hold in the region. For the Congress, retaining the seat would signal that its support base remains intact despite the circumstances that led to the bypoll.

Among the other candidates, Sanjana Singh Kinnar, contesting on a Bharatiya Gan Warta Party ticket, has attracted attention for bringing issues of transgender representation and political inclusion into the election discourse. Though not seen as a front-runner, her campaign has generated interest among urban voters and younger electors, giving the contest a broader social narrative beyond the traditional BJP-Congress rivalry.

The Election Commission has scheduled polling for July 30, with counting on August 3. According to the ECI, 22 candidates, including the NOTA option, will contest the bypoll.

Since a single ballot unit can display only 16 names, Electronic Voting Machines at every polling station will be equipped with two ballot units. Voters have been advised to carefully check both units before pressing the voting button.