Congress candidate Ghanshyam Singh secured 66,757 votes, while Tiwari polled 60,741 votes after all 15 rounds of counting.DATIA: The Congress retained the Datia assembly seat in Madhya Pradesh on Monday, with its candidate Ghanshyam Singh defeating BJP rival Ashutosh Tiwari by 6,016 votes in a by-election that was closely watched amid reported differences within the saffron party over candidate selection.After all 15 rounds of counting, Singh secured 66,757 votes, while Tiwari polled 60,741 votes, according to news agency PTI.Azad Samaj Party candidate Damodar Yadav finished third with 22,527 votes, said District Election Officer and Datia District Magistrate Swapnil Wankhade.A total of 21 candidates were in the fray. At one stage during the counting process, Singh had built a lead of 12,607 votes over Tiwari, though the BJP candidate narrowed the margin in the final rounds.The by-election was necessitated after a Delhi court in April sentenced sitting Congress MLA Rajendra Bharti to three years' imprisonment in a cheating case, resulting in the termination of his Assembly membership."This verdict marks the beginning of the end of the BJP," Ghanshyam Singh told reporters after his victory.Celebrations erupted at the state Congress headquarters in Bhopal, where party workers distributed sweets to mark the win.The by-election recorded a voter turnout of 71.44 per cent. Although 21 candidates contested the seat, the main contest remained between Congress' Singh and the BJP's Tiwari.In the 2023 Madhya Pradesh Assembly elections, then Congress candidate Rajendra Bharti had defeated BJP nominee and former state Home Minister Narottam Mishra by more than 7,700 votes from the constituency.For the by-election, the BJP chose not to field Mishra and instead nominated Tiwari.Ghanshyam Singh expressed confidence that the Congress would form the next government in Madhya Pradesh in 2028 and said the party was working towards making Rahul Gandhi the next Prime Minister.He said his priorities would include promoting communal harmony in Datia and putting an end to political vendetta."I will work to end gambling and betting rackets in the constituency," he said.State Congress president Jitu Patwari termed the result a victory for the people of Datia and said it reflected the collective efforts of Congress leaders and workers.Patwari told reporters in Bhopal that Datia voters had exposed the corruption, terror and arrogance of the BJP-led government.He said the electorate had laid the foundation for political change and signalled the BJP's eventual exit from power.