Datia bypoll: BJP denies ticket to Narottam Mishra, fields Ashutosh Tiwari
The BJP has selected Ashutosh Tiwari as its candidate for the Datia Assembly byelection in Madhya Pradesh, bypassing former State Home Minister Narottam Mishra. The byelection was triggered by the disqualification of Congress incumbent Rajendra Bharti following a criminal conviction.
Why it matters
The candidate selection highlights internal party dynamics and the strategic shift in a key political constituency following a high-profile disqualification.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has fielded Ashutosh Tiwari for the byelection in Madhya Pradesh’s Datia Assembly constituency, concluding the days of speculation that former State Home Minister Narottam Mishra would be fielded again.
Mr. Mishra, a three-term MLA from Datia, had lost to Congress’ Rajendra Bharti in the 2023 Assembly polls. Mr. Bharti’s legislative membership was, however, cancelled in April, 2026, after he was convicted and sentenced to three years in prison by a special MP/MLA court in Delhi in a bank fraud case from 2015.
A byelection in Datia was announced by the Election Commission of India on July 7, for which polling will be held on July 30 and counting of votes will take place on August 3. The last date to file nomination is July 13.
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