Congress won Datia bypoll. But the real winner is Chandrashekar Azad. Here's why
The Datia Assembly bypoll result in Madhya Pradesh has put Azad Samaj Party (Kanshi Ram) chief Chandrashekhar Azad firmly in the political spotlight, with his
The Datia Assembly bypoll result in Madhya Pradesh has put Azad Samaj Party (Kanshi Ram) chief Chandrashekhar Azad firmly in the political spotlight, with his party's candidate polling more than 22,000 votes in a contest that has sparked speculation about its implications for the 2027 Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections. The Congress won the Datia Assembly bypoll in Madhya Pradesh, with its candidate Ghanshyam Singh defeating BJP's Ashutosh Tiwari by a margin of 6,016 votes. Singh secured 66,757 votes whereas Tiwari finished as runner-up with 60,741 votes. Read Full Story While the Azad Samaj Party did not win the seat, its performance is being seen by political observers as a significant development, particularly because the party had secured only a fraction of those votes in the 2023 Assembly election. SHARP RISE IN VOTE SHARE In the 2023 Madhya Pradesh Assembly election, the BSP candidate polled around 1,100 votes, while the Azad Samaj Party candidate received about 700 votes in Datia.
In the bypoll, however, the party's candidate crossed the 22,000-vote mark, marking a dramatic jump in support. Political observers attribute the surge to Chandrashekhar Azad's decision to field Damodar Yadav, an OBC candidate, which is believed to have helped the party attract both Yadav and Jatav (Dalit) voters, creating a new caste equation. The result has drawn attention in Uttar Pradesh, where Chandrashekhar has already announced candidates for 45 Assembly seats ahead of the 2027 polls. The Datia performance has intensified discussions over whether the Azad Samaj Party can emerge as a decisive player in Uttar Pradesh by consolidating Dalit and OBC votes. CHALLENGE FOR BSP The development comes at a time when the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) is facing internal churn, with questions being raised over party chief Mayawati's organisational decisions. Political analysts believe Chandrashekhar is attempting to expand his support base among traditional BSP voters, particularly in regions where Kanshi Ram's movement once enjoyed strong backing.
Madhya Pradesh has historically been an important state for the BSP. The party's support base dates back to Kanshi Ram's organisational expansion, and in 1996, BSP's Sukhlal Kushwaha won the Satna Lok Sabha seat, defeating heavyweight candidates from both the Congress and the BJP. Observers say Chandrashekhar is trying to tap into that legacy while positioning his party as an alternative for Bahujan voters. The Datia result has also fuelled debate over whom Chandrashekhar's rise could hurt the most in Uttar Pradesh. If the Azad Samaj Party contests independently, analysts believe it could split anti-BJP votes in several constituencies by attracting Dalit, Muslim and OBC voters, potentially affecting parties such as the Samajwadi Party and the Congress. WHO IS CHANDRASHEKHAR AZAD? Azad, popularly known as “Ravan”, co-founded the Bhim Army in 2015 to fight caste discrimination and champion the rights of Dalits and other marginalised communities.
The BriefWire