Delhi HC defers Rajendra Bharti's bank fraud plea to July 14, Datia bypoll looms
Synopsis
Former Congress MLA Rajendra Bharti's bank fraud case has been deferred by the Delhi High Court for a third time — now to July 14 — making it almost certain that the Datia Assembly by-election will be held without him. The ruling BJP, which lost the seat to Bharti in 2023 when he unseated veteran Narottam Mishra, is already preparing for a contest Congress may have to fight without its strongest local face.
Key Takeaways
The Delhi High Court deferred former Congress MLA Rajendra Bharti's bank fraud conviction hearing to July 14 — the third postponement in the case.
Bharti was sentenced to three years in jail by a Delhi MP-MLA court and lost his Madhya Pradesh Assembly membership on 2 April under the Representation of the People Act.
The Datia seat has been declared vacant; the Datia district administration has reportedly told the ECI that bypoll arrangements are ready.
Bharti had won Datia in 2023 , defeating BJP's Narottam Mishra , a three-time winner of the seat.
If the ECI notifies the by-election before July 14, Congress will have to contest without Bharti.
The Delhi High Court on Tuesday deferred the hearing in former Congress MLA Rajendra Bharti's bank fraud conviction case to July 14, dealing a fresh blow to his hopes of securing legal relief before the Datia Assembly by-election. This is the third consecutive postponement in the matter, leaving Bharti's electoral future increasingly uncertain.
What Happened in Court
The case was listed before Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma on Tuesday but could not be taken up due to a backlog of priority matters. Bharti had moved the Delhi High Court challenging the three-year jail sentence handed to him by a Delhi MP-MLA court in a bank fraud case. With the next date now set for July 14, the window for any pre-bypoll relief has narrowed considerably.
How Bharti Lost His Assembly Seat
Following his conviction on 2 April, Bharti was automatically disqualified from the Madhya Pradesh Legislative Assembly under the Representation of the People Act, which bars lawmakers sentenced to two or more years in prison. The Assembly Secretariat subsequently declared the Datia seat vacant and notified the Election Commission of India (ECI). The Datia district administration has reportedly already submitted a report to the ECI confirming that bypoll arrangements are in place.
Datia By-Election: What Is at Stake
Political circles in Madhya Pradesh believe the ECI could announce the Datia bypoll schedule at any time. Bharti had won the Datia seat in 2023, defeating senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and former state Home Minister Narottam Mishra — a three-time winner of the constituency — in what was widely seen as one of the most significant upsets of that election cycle in the Gwalior-Chambal belt.
The by-election is expected to be a direct BJP vs Congress contest. Both parties have reportedly begun constituency-level groundwork. Bharti was regarded as a key Congress face in the Gwalior-Chambal region, and his absence from the ballot would be a significant setback for the party in a seat it currently holds.
Congress Faces a Difficult Choice
If the ECI notifies the by-election before July 14, the Congress will be compelled to field an alternative candidate — a challenging proposition given Bharti's local profile and his 2023 victory margin over a heavyweight BJP opponent. With the High Court date still weeks away, Bharti's legal options before the bypoll appear limited, according to reports.
Point of View
Without their strongest candidate, would erase that gain entirely. The deeper issue is structural: the Representation of the People Act's disqualification clause operates automatically on conviction, but the judicial system's pace means appeals often outlast electoral cycles, leaving parties — and voters — in a prolonged limbo. The ECI's timing of the bypoll announcement will, in effect, determine whether Bharti gets any meaningful legal recourse before the contest.
NationPress
11 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did the Delhi High Court defer Rajendra Bharti's case?
The Delhi High Court deferred the hearing to July 14 because the court was occupied with priority matters and could not take up the case on Tuesday. This is the third time the hearing has been postponed since Bharti challenged his three-year bank fraud conviction.
How did Rajendra Bharti lose his MLA seat?
Bharti was convicted in a bank fraud case by a Delhi MP-MLA court and sentenced to three years in jail on 2 April. Under the Representation of the People Act, any lawmaker sentenced to two or more years in prison is automatically disqualified, which led to the Datia seat being declared vacant.
What is the Datia Assembly by-election and when will it be held?
The Datia by-election is a state assembly bypoll in Madhya Pradesh triggered by Bharti's disqualification. The Election Commission of India has not yet announced a date, but the Datia district administration has reportedly confirmed that arrangements are in place and political circles expect an announcement soon.
Who is Narottam Mishra and why is Datia significant?
Narottam Mishra is a senior BJP leader and former Madhya Pradesh Home Minister who had won the Datia seat three consecutive times before losing it to Bharti in the 2023 assembly elections. The seat's significance lies in its symbolic value in the BJP-dominated Gwalior-Chambal region.
What happens to Congress if the bypoll is announced before July 14?
If the Election Commission notifies the Datia by-election before July 14 — the next High Court date — Congress will have to contest without Rajendra Bharti, as his disqualification remains in force. The party will need to field an alternative candidate in a constituency where Bharti's personal influence was a key factor in the 2023 win.
