Bhopal, July 11: Senior BJP leader and former Madhya Pradesh Home Minister Narottam Mishra on Saturday appealed to his supporters to maintain peace after violent protests erupted in Datia over the party’s decision to deny him a ticket for the upcoming Assembly bypoll and instead nominate Ashutosh Tiwari.
The unrest broke out soon after the BJP announced Tiwari’s candidature, triggering widespread anger among Mishra’s loyalists, who had expected the veteran leader to return to the electoral fray. Protesters blocked National Highway-44 (NH-44) for nearly 12 hours, bringing traffic to a standstill and leading to clashes with police.
According to officials, more than 3,000 supporters participated in the agitation. The protests turned violent as demonstrators allegedly pelted stones at police personnel, vandalised police and private vehicles, and attempted to enforce a shutdown of markets across Datia town. Security forces eventually fired tear gas shells to disperse the crowd and detained several protesters.
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Several police personnel, including Datia Superintendent of Police Mayur Khandelwal, sustained injuries during the clashes. Officials said at least six policemen were hurt while attempting to restore order.
Breaking his silence after the violence, Mishra urged his supporters not to resort to confrontation.
“I appeal to all my supporters to maintain peace and discipline. We must respect the democratic process and refrain from any act of violence,” Mishra said, seeking to calm tempers after the large-scale protests.
The BJP’s decision came as a surprise to many party workers because Mishra had reportedly already purchased a nomination form and was widely expected to be the party’s candidate for the prestigious Datia seat. The leadership, however, chose Ashutosh Tiwari, a move that has exposed deep divisions within the local party unit.
The Datia Assembly seat fell vacant after Congress MLA Rajendra Bharti was disqualified following his conviction in a cheating case. In April this year, a Delhi court sentenced Bharti to three years’ imprisonment, leading to the cancellation of his Assembly membership. Although he later secured bail, the conviction necessitated a by-election.
The seat carries added political significance as Bharti had defeated Mishra in the 2023 Madhya Pradesh Assembly elections by a margin of over 7,500 votes, marking one of the BJP veteran’s rare electoral setbacks.
The anger among Mishra’s supporters has also spilled into the organisational structure of the BJP in Datia. Several local office-bearers, including the district unit president and a number of corporators, reportedly resigned from their party posts in protest against the ticket distribution.
Some demonstrators vowed to continue their agitation until the BJP reconsidered its decision. “Our protest will continue until Narottam Dada is given the ticket,” one supporter told reporters, while others threatened to quit the party if the leadership failed to reverse its decision.
Datia Collector Swapnil Wankhede said the administration repeatedly appealed to protesters to vacate NH-44, but they refused to comply and allegedly resorted to stone-pelting. He said law enforcement agencies were forced to intervene to restore normalcy.
Superintendent of Police Mayur Khandelwal confirmed that multiple police personnel were injured in the violence and warned that strict legal action would be taken against those responsible for damaging public property and attacking security personnel.
The Election Commission has scheduled polling for the Datia Assembly bypoll on July 30, with counting of votes to take place on August 3. Bypolls will also be held on the same day for two Assembly constituencies in Bihar and Gujarat.
The BJP’s candidate selection has transformed what was expected to be a routine by-election into a major political challenge, with the party now facing the task of containing internal dissent while preparing for a high-stakes electoral contest.
