MP Datia Bypoll: BJP Fields Ashutosh Tiwari, Snub To Narottam Mishra Triggers Protest By His Supporters

Naidunia Representative, Datia: In a surprising turn of events ahead of the Datia Assembly by-election, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Friday named Ashutosh Tiwari as its candidate for the contest.

The announcement comes as a major setback for former Home Minister Dr Narottam Mishra, who was widely speculated to be the party's candidate and had already signalled his readiness for the contest by purchasing nomination forms and beginning to hold election rallies.

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Protests Erupt In Datia

Protests erupted in Datia after the BJP announced Ashutosh Tiwari as the party's candidate for the upcoming Assembly by-election instead of Narottam Mishra. Party workers gathered at the BJP office and chanted slogans against State President Hemant Khandelwal. Additionally, groups of workers staged a sit-in protest on the highway.

Amid growing discontent over ticket distribution, Datia BJP District President Raghuveer Kushwaha and the entire district executive committee have resigned en masse. The move is seen as a major sign of deepening resentment within the party.

Supporters of Mishra have indicated they will meet with the party's top leadership to demand a change of candidate, expressing confidence that the ticket distribution decision will be reconsidered, Jagran.com reported.

Who Is Ashutosh Tiwari?

Ashutosh Tiwari has long been associated with the BJP organisation. He comes from a Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) background and has previously served as the regional organisation minister for the Bhopal-Sagar division. He also served as the chairman of the Madhya Pradesh Housing Board during the previous BJP government.

Tiwari, who holds the rank of a minister, is considered a supporter of Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan.

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Why Is Datia By-Election Taking Place?

The Datia Assembly by-election has been necessitated following the disqualification of Congress leader Rajendra Bharti, who won the seat in the 2023 assembly elections by defeating BJP's Narottam Mishra. A special MP-MLA court sentenced Bharti to three years in prison after finding him guilty in a bank FD fraud case. Bharti challenged this in the Delhi High Court. However, his appeal was dismissed on Friday, Jun 10.

(With Inputs From Naidunia)