Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): The nomination process for the Datia Assembly by-election entered its fourth day on Thursday.
Azad Samaj Party (Kanshi Ram) candidate Damodar Singh Yadav was the first candidate to officially file his nomination papers.
Senior BJP leader and former Madhya Pradesh Home Minister Dr. Narottam Mishra will file his nomination on Friday.
Yadav reached the tehsil office located in the Collectorate along with his brother, Keshav Yadav, to submit his nomination. He will contest the by-election on the party's 'Kettle' election symbol.
Reacting to the announcement of the Datia Assembly bypoll, Azad Samaj Party candidate Damodar Singh Yadav said his party had been preparing for the election well in advance.
Comparing elections to exams, he said there are two types of students—those who study only before the exam and those who prepare throughout the year—and claimed his party belongs to the second category.
Yadav said the Azad Samaj Party has been working at the grassroots level across both rural and urban Datia for nearly three months.
He added that the party's sector teams, polling agents, and booth-level preparations are complete, and that he has already addressed public meetings in more than 100 villages as well as Datia city.
Heavy security was deployed at the Collectorate during the nomination process. Following the Election Commission's guidelines, only authorised persons were allowed inside the premises, while party workers and supporters were stopped at the main gate.
The focus now shifts on Friday when senior BJP leader and former Madhya Pradesh Home Minister Dr. Narottam Mishra is expected to file his nomination papers. A large number of supporters are likely to attend the event.
In view of the expected crowd, the administration has stepped up security and traffic arrangements. So far, both the BJP and the Congress have not officially announced their candidates for the Datia by-election.
