BJP Candidate Selection Sparks Violent Protests in Datia

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) sparked violent unrest in Madhya Pradesh after nominating Ashutosh Tiwari as its candidate for the Datia Assembly by-election, denying a ticket to former Home Minister Narottam Mishra. The by-election, scheduled for July 30, follows the disqualification of Congress MLA Rajendra Bharti due to a fraud conviction.

Supporters of Mishra launched a 11-to-12-hour blockade of National Highway-44 starting Friday evening, causing traffic jams up to 25 kilometers that affected Datia, Jhansi, Shivpuri, and Gwalior districts. The situation escalated around 4 a.m. Saturday when over 3,000 protesters pelted stones at security forces. Police deployed tear gas shells to clear the highway, resulting in injuries to eight personnel, including the Superintendent of Police and the District Magistrate. In protest of the nomination, nearly 300 local BJP office-bearers and corporators resigned.

Following the violence, Narottam Mishra met with Chief Minister Mohan Yadav and other state leadership in Bhopal and later traveled to New Delhi to meet senior party officials. Mishra denied any resentment and pledged to campaign for Tiwari. State President Hemant Khandelwal announced the organization would not accept the resignations of the protesting workers.

Meanwhile, the Indian National Congress nominated Ghanshyam Singh, head of the Datia royal family, for the seat. Congress President Jitu Patwari criticized the BJP's legal maneuvers to remove the previous MLA, alleging the party used the courts to murder democracy.