Datia Bypoll: Congress Fields Former MLA Ghanshyam Singh Against BJP's Ashutosh Tiwari; Narottam Gets Udhav Sena's Offer

Naidunia Representative, Datia: The Congress on Saturday nominated 72-year-old former MLA Ghanshyam Singh as its candidate for the Datia Assembly by-election in Madhya Pradesh, scheduled for July 30. Singh belongs to the erstwhile Datia royal family and is an influential political figure in the district.

He comes from a prominent political family. His father, Maharaj Krishna Singh Ju Deo, was elected to the Lok Sabha from the Bhind-Datia constituency on a Congress ticket in 1984. Singh himself has served as an MLA three times, twice representing Datia and once representing the Seodha constituency. In this high-stakes by-election, he is set to face Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate Ashutosh Tiwari.

ALSO READ: Datia Byelection: Who Is Ashutosh Tiwari And Why BJP Picked Him Over Narottam Mishra?

A Look At Ghanshyam Singh's Political Career

Congress candidate Ghanshyam Singh is set to contest from the Datia assembly constituency again after 18 years. Singh first won the Datia seat in 1993 by defeating BJP's Shambhu Dayal Tiwari, but was denied a ticket in 1998. He made a comeback in 2003 by defeating Avdesh Nayak. However, he lost to BJP's Narottam Mishra in the 2008 assembly election, Naidunia reported.

Following his defeat in Datia, Singh turned to the Sevda constituency. He contested there unsuccessfully in 2013, losing to BJP's Pradeep Agarwal by a narrow margin of around 1,800 votes. However, he won in 2018 with a decisive victory over BJP's Radhelal Baghel. In the 2023 assembly elections, Congress re-nominated him from Sevda, but he was defeated by BJP's Pradeep Agarwal.

Ghanshyam Singh Returns To Datia Assembly Battle After 18 Years

Returning to Datia after 18 years, Singh is seeking to reclaim the assembly seat he last contested in 2008. In this high-stakes by-election, he is set to face BJP's Ashutosh Tiwari.

Speaking to PTI over the phone, Singh expressed confidence in his victory, stating, "I am going to win the bypoll. I will work for the development of the constituency and focus on eradicating the politics of witch-hunt and casteism plaguing Datia."

ALSO READ: MP Datia Bypoll: BJP Fields Ashutosh Tiwari, Snub To Narottam Mishra Triggers Protest By His Supporters

Shiv Sena (UBT) Offers Ticket To Narottam Mishra

In a surprise political move, the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) on Saturday offered a ticket to Mishra for the upcoming Datia Assembly by-election. The development comes a day after the BJP named Ashutosh Tiwari as its candidate for the contest.

Sunil Sharma, the Madhya Pradesh chief of Shiv Sena (UBT), stated that if Mishra accepts the offer, party president and former Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, along with other leaders, will campaign for him in the constituency.

(With Inputs From Naidunia And PTI)