Narottam Mishra summoned to Bhopal day after protests rock Datia over ticket denial
Former Madhya Pradesh Home Minister Narottam Mishra has been summoned to Bhopal by BJP leadership following violent protests in Datia over his exclusion from the upcoming by-election ticket. While Mishra has urged his supporters to remain calm, senior party leaders have stated that the candidate selection will not be changed.
Why it matters
The unrest highlights internal party friction and the significant local influence of regional political figures in Indian state politics.
A day after the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) picked debutant Ashutosh Tiwari over him for Datia Assembly by-election, former Madhya Pradesh Home Minister Narottam Mishra arrived in Bhopal.
The State BJP leadership, getting into damage control mode after massive protests by his supporters, had invited him to the capital even as senior leaders denied any possibility of changing the candidate. Mr. Mishra also urged his supporters to maintain calm and that he will convince them to campaign for the party’s candidate.
A source in the BJP told The Hindu that Mr. Mishra had been called by State unit general secretary (organisation) Hitanand Sharma.
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