Voting begins for Datia bypoll in Madhya Pradesh; 2.20 lakh voters to decide fate of 21 candidates

Published 30 July 2026 · politics

Voting began at 7 a.m. on Thursday (July 30, 2026) for the byelection in the Datia Assembly constituency in Madhya Pradesh, where BJP’s Ashutosh Tiwari

Voting began at 7 a.m. on Thursday (July 30, 2026) for the byelection in the Datia Assembly constituency in Madhya Pradesh, where BJP’s Ashutosh Tiwari and Congress’ Ghanshyam Singh are locked in a direct contest, said officials. Polling will continue till 6 p.m., they said. According to Election Commission officials, 291 polling stations have been set up in the constituency, where 2,20,344 voters will exercise their franchise to decide the electoral fate of 21 candidates. “Voting started peacefully and in an orderly manner at all polling stations at the scheduled time under the Datia Assembly byelection 2026,” said Swapnil Wankhede, Collector and District Election Officer.

Of the 291 polling stations, 186 are in rural areas and 105 are in urban pockets. The constituency has 1,16,088 male voters and 1,04,246 female voters. Officials said voters began arriving at polling stations since morning, and people were enthusiastically exercising their franchise. The State Election Commission and the district administration are fully prepared for the bypoll and have appealed to the public to cast their votes fearlessly, they said. Votes would be counted on August 3. Superintendent of Police Mayur Khandelwal had told PTI on Wednesday (July 29) evening that security companies had been deployed for the polling, and a control room had been set up where immediate action would be taken on any complaint received.

He said that the police were keeping a close watch on suspicious individuals and strict action would be taken against those who attempt to influence the voting process or disturb law and order. The ruling BJP has nominated Ashutosh Tiwari for the bypoll, while the Congress has fielded Ghanshyam Singh. Damodar Singh Yadav of the Azad Samaj Party is also in the fray, attempting to make the contest triangular. Apart from these three, 18 other candidates are also in the fray, who could play a role in shaping the winning and losing prospects for the major political parties, according to political analysts. In the 2023 Assembly elections, Congress’ Rajendra Bharti had defeated then-Home Minister Narottam Mishra by over 7,500 votes.

However, a Delhi court sentenced Bharti to three years’ imprisonment in a fraud case in April, resulting in his disqualification and necessitating a byelection for the Datia seat. Bharti later secured bail. The BJP did not give Narottam Mishra a ticket in this byelection and instead fielded Mr. Tiwari, who comes from a Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh background. The snub to Mr. Mishra had prompted his supporters to launch a massive protest.