The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party has suffered a sharp setback in Madhya Pradesh after Congress candidate Ghanshyam Singh won the Datia assembly bypoll on Monday, defeating BJP's Ashutosh Tiwari by more than 6000 votes.
The margin of victory
According to the vote count, Singh polled 6016 votes more than Tiwari. The scale of the win is notable because Datia has long been regarded as a BJP bastion.
Narottam Mishra's stronghold slips away
The Datia seat has traditionally been associated with BJP leader Narottam Mishra and was seen as his political stronghold. This time, Congress not only won the seat outright but also outpolled the BJP at the booth linked to Mishra, a result that carries both symbolic and political weight for the party.
A second blow in Bankipur
The setback was not limited to Datia. On the same day, BJP also lost the Bankipur assembly bypoll in Bihar, where Prashant Kishor defeated the BJP candidate. Losing bypolls in two different states on the same day is being seen as a significant reversal for the party.
What the results signal
The outcomes in Datia and Bankipur could prompt introspection within the BJP's organisational ranks. A loss on a seat as closely tied to a senior leader as Datia is to Mishra raises questions about the party's local grip and strategy ahead of future contests.
