Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): The BJP has taken a major risk in the Datia by-election by fielding Ashutosh Tiwari instead of Narottam Mishra.
Tiwari is new to the public in Datia. When the party announced his name as a candidate for the by-election, many people wanted to know who he was.
Tiwari, who has always worked behind the scene, is fighting an election for the first time.
He is pitted against Congress candidate Ghanshyam Singh and Azad Samaj Party's Damodar Yadav.
Mishra has been an unchallenged leader in Datia since 2008. He may have lost the election in 2023, but there has not been any other politician from the BJP who has posed challenges to him.
There was another powerful BJP leader in the area, Awdhesh Nayak, but he joined the Congress before the previous assembly election. Mishra has supporters in the entire BJP.
But for Mishra and his supporters, fewer leaders in the BJP know whom to contact and where to go to seek votes.
Mishra may campaign for Tiwari, but there is hardly any possibility that his supporters will work for the party.
Those who work at booths and see the arrangements outside the polling centres play an important in an election.
The problem with Tiwari is that party men who will come from outside will take control of the situation, but 48 hours before the election they have to leave the constituency.
It will be difficult for Tiwari without wooing the local BJP workers, and the BJP leaders are acquainted with this fact.
This is the reason why the senior leaders of the BJP are trying to mollify Mishra. the BJP has already lost the Vijaypur by-election, so it will be important for the BJP leaders to keep everything in their favour.
Datia bypoll
Appeals for unity after protest over bypoll ticket
The state BJP president Hemant Khandelwal, said that the party would not accept the resignation of its workers from Datia.
"Carried away by emotions, some people have submitted their resignations and the matter came to my notice. I have received no such resignation. The BJP has decided not to accept any resignation. The party will register a massive victory in Datia under the guidance of Narottam Mishra," he said.
Notably, a large number of BJP workers staged a demonstration in Datia by blocking roads and closing markets after they came to know that Narottam Mishra had been denied the party ticket for the Datia by-election.
