The Congress gained a narrow lead in the Datia Assembly by-election after the completion of the fifth round of counting on Monday, moving ahead of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) by 308 votes in a closely contested electoral battle.

According to the latest counting trends, the Congress maintained a slender advantage as officials continued the counting process at the Government Polytechnic College in Datia. A total of 15 rounds of counting are scheduled, with nearly 350 officials and employees deployed to oversee the exercise.

Congress Moves Ahead

By the end of the fifth round, the Congress had secured a lead of 308 votes over the BJP.

In the fifth round alone, the BJP received 4,282 votes, while the Congress secured 3,757 votes. The Azad Samaj Party (ASP) polled 1,978 votes during the round.

Congress candidate Ghanshyam Singh expressed confidence in the party's prospects, claiming that the lead would widen significantly once votes from urban areas were counted.

"We are confident of winning by 12,000 to 15,000 votes. Counting from the city areas will begin from the sixth round, which will further strengthen our position," he said while interacting with reporters.

BJP Confident Despite Early Deficit

Senior BJP leader and former Madhya Pradesh Home Minister Narottam Mishra remained optimistic despite the Congress taking the lead.

"Our hard work will certainly yield results," Mishra said, dismissing Congress allegations of internal sabotage and asserting that the BJP remained confident of retaining the seat.

Responding to Congress claims of factionalism, Mishra remarked that allegations of infighting were "nothing new" for former Congress MLA Rajendra Bharti, whose conviction had led to the by-election.

Political Significance of the Bypoll

The Datia Assembly seat fell vacant after former Congress MLA Rajendra Bharti was sentenced to two years' imprisonment in the Cooperative Rural Development Bank fraud case, leading to his disqualification.

In the 2023 Madhya Pradesh Assembly election, Bharti had defeated then Home Minister Narottam Mishra by a margin of 7,742 votes, making the by-election politically significant for both major parties.

Congress Internal Rift Surfaces

The bypoll has also been marked by internal tensions within the Congress. Just a day before counting, the party suspended former MLA Rajendra Bharti from its primary membership following complaints from party candidate Ghanshyam Singh, who accused him of anti-party activities during the campaign.

Leader of Opposition Umang Singhar said voters had backed the Congress because of public dissatisfaction with the BJP government, expressing confidence that the final verdict would favour his party.

Meanwhile, Rajendra Bharti rejected the allegations, claiming Ghanshyam Singh was making excuses in anticipation of defeat.

Counting Continues

Polling for the Datia by-election recorded 71.44 per cent voter turnout, nearly nine percentage points lower than the turnout recorded during the 2023 Assembly election.

Election officials said counting is progressing peacefully under tight security, with results expected after the completion of all 15 rounds.

Political observers are closely tracking the outcome, which is being viewed as an important test for both the ruling BJP and the Congress ahead of future electoral contests in Madhya Pradesh.