BHOPAL: Three days after being denied the BJP ticket for the July 30 Datia Assembly by-election, former Madhya Pradesh minister Narottam Mishra turned emotional while addressing a party meeting ahead of the filing of nomination papers by the BJP's candidate, Ashutosh Tiwari.
“The party (BJP) has given me a lot. I was a legislator for 30 years (from Dabra and Datia) and minister in the state government for 15 years. What more can I expect from the party, no party worker will sit back at home, every worker will put heart and soul to ensure party candidate Ashutosh Tiwari’s victory in the July 30 by-election,” a tearful Mishra said while addressing the nomination rally in Datia distrcit on Monday.
“From July 16, I’ll camp right here (in Datia) myself. Together with all the workers, I’ll bow my head in respect at every single doorstep in Datia. I will visit every single village. I will ensure Ashutosh’s victory,” the three-time former MLA added.
Among those present on the stage were chief minister Mohan Yadav, state BJP president Hemant Khandelwal and party candidate Tiwari.
A day earlier, while in the national capital, Mishra had said, “He was born (as a politician) in the BJP and will die in the same party. Every decision of the party will be respected by me and all other BJP workers in Datia and we’ll work for the victory of the party candidate in the by-election.”
Taking a jibe at state Congress president Jitu Patwari and former chief minister Digvijaya Singh, the BJP leader said, “They (Singh and Patwari) say I was ahankari (arrogant), so I lost the 2023 elections (from Datia) by 7,500-plus votes. Singh lost the 2019 Lok Sabha elections in Bhopal by more than 3.5 lakh votes, while Patwari lost the Rau Assembly seat in the 2023 elections by more than 35,500 votes, so they became sanskari (cultured).”
“There is still time left for filing nominations on the last day today, I dare Jitu Patwari to fill nomination form himself and contest the by-polls against our candidate, the results will establish who is ahankari (arrogant) and who is sanskari (cultured),” he added.
Responding to the Congress's claim that the BJP was divided in Datia after he was denied the ticket, Mishra said, “What about the Congress, is it really united in Datia. If it's actually united in Datia, why didn’t senior leader Avdhesh Naik accompany the party’s candidate (Kunwar Ghanshyam Singh) for filing nomination today. Why was Rajendra Bharti (the 2023 winner and disqualified MLA) standing outside the office where the Congress candidate submitted his nomination form?”
Describing the contest between Congress candidate Kunwar Ghanshyam Singh, who hails from the erstwhile Datia royal family, and BJP candidate Ashutosh Tiwari as a battle between "Raja Vs Runk (King Vs Pauper)", Mishra said every BJP worker in Datia would ensure Tiwari’s victory.
“The Congress is spreading a narrative about the Raja (their candidate) being very sweet and gentle. Always remember, he is just like the expired homeopathic medicine, which is very sweet, but ineffective,” he said.
On Friday evening, shortly after the BJP denied a ticket to Mishra — who won the seat in 2008, 2013 and 2018 before losing in 2023 — and instead named organisational leader Ashutosh Tiwari as its candidate, violent protests erupted in Datia by BJP workers loyal to Mishra.
The protesters blocked National Highway 44 (Gwalior-Jhansi Highway) for more than 11 hours and pelted stones at police on Saturday morning, injuring eight police personnel. Led by district BJP president Raghuveer Singh Kushwaha, senior office-bearers of the ruling party offered to resign in protest against the denial of a ticket to Mishra.
According to BJP sources, the developments in Datia from Friday evening to Saturday morning did not go down well with the party's state and central leadership.
Mishra subsequently travelled to Bhopal to meet senior state BJP leaders, including CM Yadav, on Saturday, and was in New Delhi on Sunday, where he was unable to meet any national BJP leaders.
Mishra, however, claimed he had travelled to Delhi for reasons other than meeting the BJP leadership.
Sources said the possibility of disciplinary action against Mishra and his supporters may have prompted his visits to Bhopal and Delhi, as well as his public endorsement of the party's candidate.
