Narottam Mishra – former Madhya Pradesh home minister and BJP leader, his supporters staged massive protests in Datia after the BJP announced its candidate for the upcoming Datia bypoll, Ashutosh Tiwari, replacing Mishra, who had lost the seat in the 2023 assembly elections.
The protests, held on Friday and Saturday, saw more than 3,000 supporters block National Highway-44 for nearly 12 hours. Officials said the agitation led to injuries among police personnel, damage to vehicles, and the detention of several protesters after security forces used teargas shells to disperse the crowd.
The BJP announced Tiwari’s candidature on Friday, triggering anger among Mishra’s supporters, who had expected the senior leader to receive the party ticket.
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Ticket Decision Sparks Protest by Mishra’s Supporters
According to party sources quoted by PTI, the decision to field Ashutosh Tiwari came as a major disappointment for Narottam Mishra, who was expecting to be chosen as the party’s candidate and had already purchased a nomination form.
One supporter said they would not withdraw the protest unless “Narottam Dada” was given the ticket and added that they were prepared to quit the BJP over the issue.
Highway Blockade, Stone Pelting and Police Action
Datia collector Swapnil Wankhede told reporters that angry supporters blocked NH-44 for nearly 11-12 hours. Despite repeated requests to clear the road, protesters allegedly threw stones at police personnel, prompting security forces to fire teargas shells to disperse the crowd.
Wankhede said the Datia superintendent of police, other senior officers and police personnel were injured during the violence. He also stated that protesters damaged police vehicles and other vehicles.
VIDEO | Madhya Pradesh: Heavy police has been deployed after BJP workers protest over former Madhya Pradesh minister Narottam Mishra being denied a ticket by the BJP for the Datia Assembly bypoll.
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) July 11, 2026
Swapnil Wankhade, District Magistrate of Datia, says, "There was an 11.5-12-hour… pic.twitter.com/orufXB5yiH
Datia SP Mayur Khandelwal said more than 3,000 protesters disrupted law and order in Datia town, attempted to shut markets and continued the road blockade for nearly 12 hours. He said more than six police personnel were injured in the stone-pelting.
“We tried to pacify them, citing the enforcement of the model code of conduct in the town. However, after they refused to back down and pelted stones, cops fired teargas shells to control the situation,” the senior officer said.
The SP added that some protesters were arrested and warned that strict action would be taken if they resorted to violence again.
Background to the Datia Bypoll
Narottam Mishra had contested the Datia assembly seat in the 2023 Madhya Pradesh assembly elections but was defeated by Congress leader Rajendra Bharti by more than 7,500 votes. Mishra was serving as the state’s home minister at the time.
In April this year, a Delhi court sentenced Bharti to three years in prison in a cheating case, resulting in his disqualification as an MLA and necessitating a byelection. He was later granted bail.
Resignations Follow BJP Candidate Announcement
Following Friday’s developments, several BJP office-bearers, including the district unit president and local corporators, resigned from the party in protest, PTI reported, citing sources.
The Election Commission has announced bypolls for three assembly constituencies across the country, including Datia, with the remaining two seats located in Bihar and Gujarat.
Polling for the Datia assembly bypoll is scheduled for July 30, while counting of votes will take place on August 3.
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