Nominations Filed For Datia By-Election; Narottam Mishra Steps In Line

-Bhopal: Candidates of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Opposition Congress on Monday filed their nominations for the July 30 by-elections in the Datia Assembly constituency, promising a high-voltage campaign for the seat.

Senior BJP leader and former home minister Narottam Mishra, whose supporters stormed the city of Datia in violent night-long protests on Friday after their leader Mr Mishra was denied a ticket, put aside all his inhibitions and appeared during the paper submission of BJP candidate Ashutosh Tiwari along with chief minister Mohan Yadav and state BJP president Hemant Khandelwal.

Later, addressing a rally by the party taken out on the occasion, he said that the party is above the individual for the workers of the BJP and he is a mere worker of the party.

Mr. Mishra said the BJP had given him everything as he served as a minister in previous state governments for 15 years and said what more could he expect.

Congress candidate for the by-elections Ghanashyam Singh, a member of the erstwhile royal family of Datia, also filed his nomination on Monday.

Prominent Congress leaders present at the event included former chief minister Digvijay Singh, state Congress president Jitu Patwari and Congress Legislative Assembly Party leader Umang Singhar.

Due to the disqualification of Congress MLA Rajendra Bharti from the Assembly following his recent conviction by a Delhi court in a bank fraud case, by-elections to the Datia seat are scheduled to be held on July 30 and the results will be declared on August 3.