Narottam Mishra ticket row: Supporters block NH-44 for 12 hours, clash with police over BJP’s Datia pick

Supporters of former Madhya Pradesh Home Minister and senior BJP leader Narottam Mishra staged massive protests after the party denied him a ticket for the upcoming Datia Assembly bypoll, choosing Ashutosh Tiwari as its candidate instead.

According to officials, more than 3,000 protesters blocked National Highway-44 for nearly 12 hours, disrupting traffic and clashing with police. The violence left the Datia Superintendent of Police and several other personnel injured, while police used tear gas to disperse the crowd and detained several protesters.

Narottam Mishra, who represented Datia for several terms, lost the constituency to Congress leader Rajendra Bharti by over 7,500 votes in the 2023 Madhya Pradesh Assembly elections. The bypoll was necessitated after Bharti was disqualified following his conviction in a cheating case, though he was later granted bail.

Supporters demand Mishra’s candidature

Party sources said Mishra was expecting to be renominated and had even purchased a nomination form. His supporters expressed anger over the BJP’s decision, with some declaring they would continue their agitation until “Narottam Dada” was given the ticket and even threatening to quit the party.

Datia Collector Swapnil Wankhede said protesters ignored repeated appeals to clear the highway and allegedly resorted to stone-pelting, forcing police to use tear gas to restore order. Several police and civilian vehicles were also reportedly damaged.

Datia SP Mayur Khandelwal said over six police personnel were injured during the clashes. He warned that strict action would be taken against those involved in violence.

Resignations rock local BJP

Following the announcement of Ashutosh Tiwari’s candidature, several local BJP office-bearers, including the district unit president and corporators, reportedly resigned in protest, highlighting growing resentment within the party’s Datia unit.

Datia bypoll on July 30

The Election Commission has scheduled polling for the Datia Assembly bypoll on July 30, with counting of votes to take place on August 3. The Datia seat is among three Assembly constituencies across the country going to bypolls, alongside one each in Bihar and Gujarat.