Narottam Mishra summoned to Bhopal day after protests rock Datia over ticket denial

A day after the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) fielded debutant Ashutosh Tiwari for the Datia Assembly by-election, former Madhya Pradesh Home Minister Narottam Mishra arrived in Bhopal.

Going into damage control mode after massive protests by his supporters, the State BJP leadership had invited him to the capital even as senior leaders ruled out the possibility of changing the candidate. Mr. Mishra also appealed to his supporters to remain calm and persuade them to campaign on behalf of the party’s candidate.

A source from the BJP said: Hindu He said Mr. Mishra was summoned by State unit general secretary (organization) Hitanand Sharma.

The protests, which began on Friday after the BJP declared Mr. Tiwari as its candidate for the July 30 general election, turned massive and violent overnight, with hundreds of Mr. Mishra’s supporters blocking National Highway-44, clashing with police and resorting to stone pelting and vandalism. The blockade lasted more than 10 hours and was only lifted early on Saturday morning. Apart from this, many BJP functionaries from the cabinet to the district level also resigned in protest.

The protests and recent political developments reflect Mr Mishra’s dominance over the BJP organization in his Datia stronghold and the anger of his supporters, who see the upcoming general elections as an opportunity for him to return to the state’s powerhouse, a position he has built over decades and consolidated during his tenure as Home Minister between 2020 and 2023.

Speaking to reporters after arriving in Bhopal, Mr. Mishra said, “I am not angry with anyone and I will meet everyone. I will meet anyone who asks me to. We will convince our workers and they will understand.”

Meanwhile, Cabinet Minister Kailash Vijayvargiya told reporters in Indore: “There has never been a tradition in the BJP of changing the list after a candidate is announced. I don’t think the candidate will change.”

Deputy CM Jagdish Devda said everyone will abide by the party’s decision and “no situation will arise that could adversely affect the organisation”.