In Madhya Pradesh, three Congress leaders, including former Chief Minister Digvijaya Singh, face charges for allegedly sharing an old video of Ramniwas Rawat, the BJP’s candidate for the Vijaypur Assembly bypoll. The incident comes amid a tense bypoll race, as parties seek to strengthen their influence in the state.
The complaint was filed by BJP leader Arvind Singh from Sheopur district, who claims the video, which dates back six years, was circulated to damage Rawat’s reputation.
According to Singh, Congress leaders Digvijaya Singh, Leader of the Opposition Umang Singhar, and Deputy Leader of the Opposition Hemant Katare posted the video on their social media accounts.
The case against the Congress leaders has been registered under Section 223 of the BNS-2023, which may result in one month of imprisonment or a fine of Rs 200. Police officials confirmed the case, noting that the charges were related to the allegedly misleading nature of the video shared by the Congress leaders.
Responding to the incident, Madhya Pradesh BJP chief V. D. Sharma criticised the Congress leaders, claiming they are unable to challenge the BJP’s candidate on policy or development issues.
According to Sharma, the Congress has resorted to tactics that ultimately undermine their standing. “If Congress had confidence, they would focus on development issues,” Sharma remarked, adding that such actions are harming the Congress's reputation in the state.
The video in question allegedly features Ramniwas Rawat in an argument, where he is heard telling someone not to vote for a specific individual. The resurfacing of this video has ignited controversy, given that Rawat has a lengthy political career spanning over three decades.
Rawat, who contested and won six Assembly elections on a Congress ticket between 1990 and 2023, made a significant shift earlier this year by joining the BJP.
His defection occurred after last November's Assembly election victory, at which point he resigned from both his Congress membership and his Assembly seat. Following his transition to the BJP, Rawat was appointed as the state forest minister in the BJP-led government under Chief Minister Mohan Yadav.
The upcoming bypoll sees Ramniwas Rawat representing the BJP in Vijaypur, a seat he previously held under Congress. He faces Congress candidate Vijaypur Malhotra, who joined Congress only a few months ago. The bypoll is set to take place in two Assembly seats—Vijaypur and Budhni—on November 13, with results expected on November 23.
Follow us
