Datia MLA Rajendra Bharti Disqualified After Bank Fraud Conviction
Datia MLA Rajendra Bharti Disqualified After Bank Fraud Conviction
Datia's Congress MLA Rajendra Bharti loses Assembly membership following a Delhi court's bank-fraud conviction; opposition calls it a hurried, partisan move.
The Madhya Pradesh Legislative Assembly disqualified Congress MLA Rajendra Bharti from Datia after a Delhi court sentenced him to three years in prison for the 2015 bank-fraud case, with a ₹1 lakh fine. The move, which also declared the Datia seat vacant, comes even as the court granted a 60-day stay to allow for appeal. The notification cites compliance with the Representation of the People Act and a Supreme Court directive dating back to 2013.
Opposition leaders slammed the decision as a breach of procedure and timing, arguing that such disqualification should await the final outcome of any appeals and not be precipitated by a conviction that was stayed for appeal. Constitutional experts noted the notification’s timing, suggesting that a midnight move raises questions about due process and political optics.
The case dates to 2015, when Bharti and a former ARDB employee were accused of defrauding a bank by illegal withdrawals tied to a ₹10 lakh fixed deposit. The court’s verdict, delivered on April 2, 2026, found Bharti guilty of offenses connected to that scheme. In compliance with the court’s order, the Speaker of the Madhya Pradesh Legislative Assembly announced the vacancy, and a gazette notification followed on April 2, 2026.
As the seat in Datia remains vacant, the opposition and party supporters await clarity on potential by-elections and the longer-term political impact of the disqualification, while Bharti and his camp have indicated possible legal avenues to challenge the action. The episode underscores ongoing tensions over political accountability and the handling of disqualification cases tied to corruption convictions.
