Jitu Patwari kicks off Cong’s Datia bypoll campaign

Bhopal: Madhya Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) chief Jitu Patwari on Saturday formally kicked off the Congress campaign for the upcoming Datia Assembly byelection, asserting that the party was united and prepared to contest the electoral battle with full strength.Addressing a workers’ convention in Datia, Patwari said the byelection was not merely an election but an opportunity for the people to reaffirm their faith in democracy. He urged party workers to strengthen the organisation at the booth level and take the Congress’s programmes and public issues to every household.The Datia Assembly seat fell vacant after the election of Congress MLA Rajendra Bharti was set aside by the courts following an election petition, necessitating a byelection. The byelection is expected to witness a keen contest between the ruling BJP and the opposition Congress, with both parties viewing it as a politically significant test ahead of future electoral battles.Patwari said the Congress legislator continued his legal and political fight despite sustained pressure and maintained that the people of Datia would once again stand in favour of democratic values. Referring to the previous Assembly election, he expressed confidence that voters would again back the Congress in the byelection.Former chief minister

Digvijaya Singh

, former leader of opposition Govind Singh, former minister Priyavrat Singh, legislators Siddharth Kushwaha, Sahab Singh Gurjar and Kailash Kushwaha, along with several senior party leaders and office-bearers, attended the convention.

Congress leaders described the meeting as the beginning of the party’s grassroots campaign for the byelection and appealed to workers to intensify outreach efforts in the constituency. The BJP, which is also expected to launch an aggressive campaign, is likely to announce its candidate in the coming days.The Datia byelection is being closely watched in Madhya Pradesh political circles, with both the BJP and Congress treating it as a prestige battle that could shape the political narrative in the state ahead of the next round of elections.