The BJP candidate in Damoh by-election Rahul Lodhi alleged that sabotage by BJP activists during election, was responsible for his defeat. To his allegations, former Minister Jayant Malaiya stated that he lost to the electorates only.

Factually, he indicated towards former Minister and senior BJP leader Jayant Malaiya, in whose ward, the BJP lost to Congress.

It was entirely a different by-election in Madhya Pradesh. Damoh assembly constituency fell vacant after Congress' sitting MLA Rahul Lodhi joined the BJP in March 2020.

It was a different one for the electorates and the BJP too. The BJP had fielded the same leader Rahul Lodhi from Damoh. People found it difficult to forget that Lodhi in last election held in 2018, had contested from Congress. The BJP leaders and activists failed to convince the electorates that Lodhi, who had crossed the floor and would work for the welfare of people.

It seems that the strategy of former chief minister Kamal Nath that people of the constituency would contest election against Lodhi.

On Monday, while talking to media persona, former Minister Jayant Malaiya pulled up Lodhi for accusing him for the defeat, saying that he (Malaiya) too won seven elections in a row, but in 2018 got defeated by Rahul Lodhi, but he did not make any issue. Counting the reasons behind Rahul Lodhi's defeat in the by-election, Malaiya said that people of the constituency did not accept his candidature as a BJP nominee.

Regarding his defeat from Malaiya's ward, Malaiya said that Lodhi's defeat margin is more than 17,000 and he lost in almost all the wards of the city. However, he told that he would put forth his point of view before the party and he does not need to reply on allegations.

Finally, Congress MLA Rahul Lodhi who had resigned as a legislator to join the BJP, failed to get elected in the by-poll and he would remain an ordinary BJP activist.