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.
On Monday, the BJP faced electoral setbacks in two seats – Bankipur in Bihar and Datia in Madhya Pradesh. In Datia, Congress candidate Kunwar Ghanshyam Singh defeated the BJP's Ashutosh Tiwari by 6,016 votes. This loss has reignited discussions about the party's decision to deny a ticket to senior leader Narottam Mishra, a three-time MLA from the constituency.
The question now is whether Mishra's loss might have changed the outcome had he been fielded. The Election Commission of India (ECI) reported that Singh received 66,757 votes, while Tiwari garnered 60,741 votes after all 15 rounds of counting. Mishra, who represented Datia for three terms, was denied the ticket despite his long association with the constituency.
However, a Madhya Pradesh lawmaker believes the loss was not due to Mishra's absence, stating that the upper-caste vote had already been alienated. Mishra, upon being denied the ticket, expressed no resentment and vowed to support the party's decision, campaigning for Tiwari at the nomination rally. The Datia bypoll was held following Congress MLA Rajendra Bharti's loss of his Assembly membership due to a cheating conviction. Congress fielded Singh, who emerged victorious over Tiwari by a narrow margin.
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