Congress candidate Mukesh Malhotra pulled off a stunning victory Saturday against sitting BJP Cabinet minister and OBC face Ram Niwas Rawat in the Chambal region’s Vijaypur bypoll.

Malhotra marched to victory with a margin of 7,364 votes against the six-time MLA Rawat, who was earlier with the Congress and switched to the BJP in April 2024, ahead of the Lok Sabha elections. The move had unsettled the Congress, which lost significant influence in the region during a period fraught with factionalism in the state Congress with speculation swirling around former chief minister Kamal Nath’s future move.

Rawat’s exit was attributed to his discontent over the Congress announcing Satyapal Singh Sikravar (Neetu) as its candidate for the Morena Lok Sabha seat. Rawat was adequately rewarded for his decision with Chief Minister Mohan Yadav handing him the Forest Ministry.

Rawat’s decision to resign from the Assembly and join the BJP necessitated the first-ever bypolls in Vijaypur. Rawat won the Vijaypur Assembly seat for the first time in 1990 and retained it in 1993. Though the BJP grabbed its control in 1998, Rawat regained the seat in 2003 and held it in 2008 and 2013. He lost it again in 2018, but then reclaimed it for Congress in 2023, providing Congress a moment of rare jubilation in a state where the party has otherwise struggled to stay relevant.

With a Cabinet minister in the fray giving the contest the high-stakes tag, there were allegations of booth capturing and incidents of violence in the aftermath of the polls.

Malhotra, who had served as the chairman of the Saharia Development Authority, joined Congress in 2024. His strong ties to the Saharia community and grassroot activism bolstered his campaign as the community forms a sizable voter base of 60,000 in Vijaypur constituency.

“In the 2023 elections, the tribals voted for Rawat because he represented the Congress, and tribals deserted him in this seat because Malhotra campaigned against him. Rawat has influence in the OBC communities but there are around 30,000 voters only,” a senior Congress leader said.

Despite contesting as an independent in the 2023 elections, Malhotra garnered 44,000 votes which reflected the tribal support he enjoys in the Chambal region and indicated his growing influence, particularly among the marginalised groups.

Both parties kicked up a storm with their aggressive campaigning. Chief Minister Mohan Yadav and state Congress chief Jitu Patwari visited the region several times. But absence of Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia for BJP’s campaign was conspicuous and raised questions on the party’s unity during a crucial election.

With the Congress describing Rawat as a “traitor” during its campaign, Malhotra projected himself as “down to earth and a friendly politician” and attacked his rival claiming that “Vijaypur region ranks first in malnutrition, tops the maternal and infant mortality rate, and is among one of the most backward areas in the country.”

The Mayawati-led BSP’s decision not to field any candidate ensured that votes were not chipped away as in 2023, BSP candidate Dhara Singh Kushwaha bagged over 34,000 votes, predominantly from the Dalit and Kushwaha communities.

Meanwhile, in Budhni constituency, BJP’s Ramakant Bhargava was leading by 11,310 votes against Congress’s Rajkumar Patel, according to the Election Commission website. The bypoll was necessitated after former chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan was elected to the Lok Sabha from Vidisha and he vacated the seat. Chouhan was inducted into the BJP-led NDA Cabinet and allocated the key agriculture ministry.