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Did Narottam Mishra's ticket snub cost BJP the Datia bypoll?
Narottam Mishra represented the Datia constituency for three terms after first winning it in 2008.
Bankipur was not the only electoral setback for the BJP on Monday. The party also lost the Datia Assembly bypoll in Madhya Pradesh, where Congress candidate Kunwar Ghanshyam Singh defeated BJP's Ashutosh Tiwari by 6,016 votes. The result has put BJP's decision to deny a ticket to senior leader Narottam Mishra, a three-time MLA from the constituency back in focus, with many wondering if the outcome would've been different if Mishra was fielded.
According to the Election Commission of India (ECI), Singh secured 66,757 votes, while Tiwari polled 60,741 votes after all 15 rounds of counting. Polling was held on July 30.
Also Read: Paper leaks, caste factors: What led to BJP loss in Bankipur and Datia?
Did sidelining Mishra cause BJP loss?
The BJP chose Ashutosh Tiwari over Mishra despite the former home minister's long association with Datia. Mishra represented the constituency for three terms after first winning it in 2008 before losing to Congress's Rajendra Bharti in the 2023 Assembly elections.
However, according to a Madhya Pradesh lawmaker, the loss in Datia is not because of the candidate. “Even if Mishra had been fielded, the party would have still lost because the upper-caste vote is alienated," he said.
After Mishra was denied the ticket, his supporters blocked National Highway-44 following the BJP's announcement of Tiwari's candidature.
Mishra, however, denied reports of resentment and said he would abide by the party's decision. He later campaigned for Tiwari and, at the nomination rally, dismissed speculation of factionalism.
"There is no major internal conflict within the BJP... I will ensure Ashutosh's victory," he said.
The Datia bypoll was necessitated after Congress MLA Rajendra Bharti lost his Assembly membership following his conviction in a cheating case. Congress fielded Kunwar Ghanshyam Singh, who defeated Tiwari by 6,016 votes to retain the seat.
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'Sign of change'
Ahead of the win, Madhya Pradesh Congress President Jitu Patwari said the party's lead in the Datia Assembly bypoll has exposed the "real face" of the BJP government in the state and claimed that the result is a sign of change among the people.
"This election has exposed the real face of the BJP govt of Madhya Pradesh. This is the result of the collective effort of our team in Madhya Pradesh. The people of the state have given a sign for change. Even if he (BJP's Narottam Mishra) had contested, he would have lost," Patwari said.
(With inputs from Smriti Kak Ramachandran and PTI)
