With barely four days to go for the last date for the filing of nomination for the July 30 by-elections to the Datia Assembly constituency in Madhya Pradesh, the two frontline parties, ruling BJP and Opposition Congress, are yet to declare their candidates, even as campaigning for the by-polls has reached a feverish pitch. (Representational Image: DC)

 Bhopal: With barely four days to go for the last date for the filing of nomination for the July 30 by-elections to the Datia Assembly constituency in Madhya Pradesh, the two frontline parties, ruling BJP and Opposition Congress, are yet to declare their candidates, even as campaigning for the by-polls has reached a feverish pitch.

While former minister and senior BJP leader, the prospective candidate of his party, has intensified his campaign for the by-elections to the seat, the Congress has started canvassing for votes for the party symbol ‘Hand’ with the AICC leadership dropping no hints about a possible candidate of the party.

“Don’t bother who will be fielded by the party in the by-elections. The Congress will declare the candidate at the right time. Let the workers campaign for the party symbol ‘Hand’ in the by-polls (till the candidate is declared)”, Jitu Patwari, president of the Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) of Madhya Pradesh said while addressing a conference of local Congress workers in Datia.

The Congress is busy holding workers’ conferences at different places in the constituency, besides launching a door-to-door campaign.

The by-election to Datia Assembly seat necessitated the Delhi high court recently disqualifying the sitting Congress MLA Rajendra Bharti from the Assembly in a cheating case.

Names of three prospective candidates, Sobha, wife of Mr. Bharti, Ghanashyam Singh and Avdesh Nayak, for the Assembly by-elections are doing rounds in the Congress circles here.

Mr. Mishra, on the other hand, has started campaigning in the constituency the day the by-elections were declared on July six.

He has already addressed several election meetings in the constituency.

He is battling the perception in the public that he is an ‘egoist and arrogant’, which, many in BJP believed, was the cause of his defeat in the seat in the 2023 Assembly polls.

“Please forgive my past mistakes. I have completely changed my behaviour and manners. Trust me, when you come to my house, I will stand up and make you seated”, Mr. Mishra said while addressing his first election meeting.

Mr. Mishra has already procured the nomination form.

The last date for filing of nomination is July 13.

While polls will be held on July 30, the results are scheduled to be declared on August three.

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