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Narottam Mishra, a former state minister and senior BJP leader, was widely seen as a contender for the party ticket from the Datia seat.
BJP leader Narottam Mishra gets emotional during the nomination rally of BJP candidate from Datia, Ashutosh Tiwari, ahead of the Datia by-elections. (Photo: ANI)
BJP leader Narottam Mishra turned emotional during the nomination rally of party candidate Ashutosh Tiwari ahead of the Datia Assembly by-election in Madhya Pradesh on Monday.
Mishra, a former state minister and senior BJP leader, was widely seen as a contender for the party ticket from the Datia seat. During the rally, he was seen wiping away tears on the stage and was consoled by fellow BJP leaders, with videos of the emotional moment quickly circulating on social media.
#WATCH | Madhya Pradesh: BJP leader Narottam Mishra gets emotional during the nomination rally of BJP candidate from Datia, Ashutosh Tiwari, ahead of the Datia by-elections. pic.twitter.com/TfkQ9TM7vO— ANI (@ANI) July 13, 2026
The development comes days after the BJP named Ashutosh Tiwari as its candidate for the July 30 bypoll, a decision that triggered strong protests from a section of Mishra’s supporters.
Following the announcement of Tiwari’s candidature, supporters of Mishra blocked National Highway-44 for nearly 12 hours. The protest turned violent, leading to clashes between demonstrators and police. Several police personnel, including the Datia Superintendent of Police, were injured in stone-pelting incidents.
Police resorted to lathi-charge and fired tear gas shells to disperse the crowd, while several protesters were detained.
Despite the unrest, the BJP sought to project unity as Ashutosh Tiwari filed his nomination papers later in the day. The nomination was filed in the presence of Narottam Mishra, Madhya Pradesh BJP president Hemant Khandelwal, state BJP in-charge Mahendra Singh and other senior party leaders.
The Datia Assembly bypoll is scheduled to be held on July 30, with the BJP aiming to retain the seat amid heightened political activity in the constituency.
Why BJP Didn’t Field Narottam Mishra
The Madhya Pradesh BJP unit had earlier recommended Narottam Mishra’s name for the Datia seat. However, the central leadership in New Delhi suggested Mishra’s electoral position was not as strong as initially assessed, news agency PTI reported.
Party insiders also claimed Mishra, a six-time MLA, could have emerged as another power centre in the state if he had won the bypoll and returned to the cabinet.
They said the leadership also wanted to maintain a balance among senior leaders in the faction-ridden state unit while retaining the BJP’s traditional Brahmin support base in Datia by fielding Tiwari, who has an RSS background, PTI reported.
Why Datia Bypoll Was Necessitated?
The bypoll was necessitated after Congress MLA Rajendra Bharti lost his assembly membership following his conviction in a cheating case. Votes will be counted on August 3.
In the 2023 assembly elections, Rajendra Bharti defeated Mishra by a margin of over 7,500 votes.
In April this year, a Delhi court sentenced Bharti to three years’ imprisonment in a cheating case, and following his conviction, the Congress leader was disqualified from the state legislative assembly, necessitating the bypoll.
While votes will be cast on July 30 for the bypoll, the results will be declared on August 3, as per the schedule.
About the Author
Saurabh Verma is a Chief Sub-Editor at News18.com, specializing in Indian politics, national current affairs, and breaking global news. With years of experience tracking power shifts, election strateg…Read More
Bhopal, India, India
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