Datia bypoll: BJP puts up united front after workers’ fury over Narottam Mishra’s ticket snub

Datia (MP), Jul 12 (PTI) The Madhya Pradesh BJP on Sunday sent senior party leaders to the Datia constituency to rally workers behind its candidate for the July 30 bypoll after supporters of former home minister Narottam Mishra went on a rampage following denial of a ticket to him. BJP nominee Ashutosh Tiwari, along with Mishra, is expected to file his nomination papers on Monday. Chief Minister Mohan Yadav is also likely to join them to send the signals that all is well within the party, said party insiders. Deputy CM Jagdish Devda, state BJP president Hemant Khandelwal, MP in-charge Mahendra Singh, Agriculture Minister and district in-charge Aidal Singh Kansana and other senior leaders went in a huddle here in the evening to finalise the party’s election strategy, they said. The leaders urged party workers to remain united and ensure Tiwari’s victory, according to the sources. The Congress has named former MLA Ghanshyam Singh, who belongs to the Datia royal family and is regarded as an influential leader in the district, as its candidate for the July 30 bypoll, setting up a direct contest with Tiwari. The meeting followed Saturday’s discussions in Bhopal involving Mishra, CM Yadav, Khandelwal and the BJP’s regional organisational general secretary Ajay Jamwal. The party had then asserted that the organisation was supreme and all workers stood firmly behind its decision on the Datia candidate. The BJP also said resignations reportedly submitted by some workers in protest against denial of a ticket to Mishra would not be accepted. During Sunday’s meeting, Sevda MLA Pradeep Agrawal, who defeated Singh in the 2023 elections, targeted the Congress, claiming its candidate had “run away” from his constituency. He described Tiwari as a dedicated party worker and said the BJP had entered the electoral battle with full strength. Earlier in the day, Tiwari offered prayers at the famous Pitambara Peeth temple in Datia before formally launching his campaign. “The party has asked me to serve the people,” he told reporters. Tiwari said he would carry forward the development works undertaken by Mishra and work under the guidance of senior party leaders for the constituency’s overall development. The BJP announced Tiwari’s candidature on Friday after denying a ticket to Mishra, triggering protests by the latter’s supporters. The protesters blocked National Highway-44 for nearly 12 hours. Several police personnel, including the Datia superintendent of police, were injured in clashes and stone-pelting. Police lobbed tear gas shells to disperse the crowd and detained several protesters. The bypoll was necessitated after Congress MLA Rajendra Bharti, who had defeated Mishra from the Datia constituency in 2023, was disqualified following his conviction in a cheating case. The bypoll will be held on July 30 and votes counted on August 3. PTI LAL NR