Bhopal, April 2 (NationPress) On Thursday, the Opposition Congress party in Madhya Pradesh expressed concerns regarding the intentions of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in light of the recent conviction of Datia MLA Rajendra Bharti for cheating and forgery.

The Leader of the Opposition in the Madhya Pradesh Legislative Assembly, Umang Singhar, commented on the situation following Bharti's conviction by a Special MP-MLA court in Delhi, stating, “The BJP's motives concerning the Rajya Sabha elections set to occur in May are becoming increasingly evident.”

Singhar accused the BJP of trying to lure and bribe Congress MLAs to ensure their success in the Rajya Sabha elections, claiming that when these efforts fall short, the ruling party resorts to using older legal cases against them.

“The conviction and subsequent arrest of Congress MLA Rajendra Bharti in a case dating back 25 years, while the ‘paid news’ case against former BJP MLA Narottam Mishra remains unresolved in the Supreme Court, highlights a stark double standard,” Singhar asserted in a statement.

He added that Congress MLA Mukesh Malhotra, representing Vijaypur (Sheopur), had his membership revoked, thus barring him from participating in the Rajya Sabha elections.

“Additionally, the sudden revival of old legal cases against Semaria MLA Abhay Mishra and Bhopal Central MLA Arif Masood underscores the BJP's relentless thirst for power,” Singhar alleged.

He insisted that the strategy of intimidating MLAs, securing their convictions, and stripping them of their legislative roles illustrates that the BJP aims to maintain its grip on power through coercive means rather than through the will of the electorate.

Importantly, elections for three of the 11 Rajya Sabha seats from Madhya Pradesh are imminent, as the terms of three members—including former Chief Minister Digvijaya Singh and Union Minister George Kurian—are set to expire on June 21, 2026.

Currently, the Congress holds three of the 11 Rajya Sabha seats in the state—comprising Digvijaya Singh, Ashok Singh (also treasurer of the Madhya Pradesh Congress Committee), and senior advocate Vivek Tankha.

This marks the Congress's sole representation from Madhya Pradesh in Parliament, as the BJP has secured all 29 Lok Sabha seats from the state and controls eight Rajya Sabha seats.

The current tension follows the conviction of Congress MLA Rajendra Bharti, who previously defeated senior BJP leader and then state Home Minister Narottam Mishra in the elections of 2023.

Bharti was convicted under various sections of the Indian Penal Code, including 120B (criminal conspiracy), 420 (cheating), 467 (forgery of valuable security), 468 (forgery for the purpose of cheating), and 471 (use of forged documents).

The Special MP-MLA court in New Delhi sentenced him to three years in prison, but he was granted bail and allowed 30 days to appeal to the High Court.