- Other factors included Congress split, candidate’s local advantage.
The BJP’s defeat in the Datia Assembly by-election has sparked speculation that former Madhya Pradesh minister Narottam Mishra was responsible for the party’s loss. However, a closer look at the electoral history and campaign suggests the claim may not hold up. Mishra actively campaigned for BJP candidate Ashutosh Tiwari, while several other political and electoral factors appear to have played a more significant role in the outcome.
Mishra’s Own Record
Narottam Mishra represented Datia after the constituency was created following the 2008 delimitation and won three consecutive Assembly elections before losing in 2023. However, his victories were never by overwhelming margins.
In the 2008 Assembly election, Mishra defeated BSP candidate Rajendra Bharti by 11,233 votes. Five years later, he again beat Congress’s Rajendra Bharti, this time by 11,697 votes. His margin narrowed sharply in 2018, when he retained the seat by just 2,656 votes. In 2023, Rajendra Bharti defeated Mishra by 7,742 votes.
Supporters of Mishra argue that if his influence had become a liability, he would not have narrowly won elections for years before eventually losing the seat himself in 2023.
Also Read: Bankipur Bypoll Result: Prashant Kishor Clinches Maiden Electoral Victory
Other Factors At Play
Another major factor was the role of former Congress leader Rajendra Bharti. Congress candidate Ghanshyam Singh alleged after polling that Bharti had been in touch with the BJP and that his actions hurt the Congress campaign. At the same time, some of Bharti’s supporters are believed to have voted for the BJP. Congress suspended Bharti from the party on August 2, even before the results were declared.
Despite missing out on the BJP ticket, Narottam Mishra remained active throughout the campaign. He repeatedly appealed to his supporters to back Ashutosh Tiwari and publicly stated that Tiwari was not responsible for his exclusion from the contest. Mishra also urged party workers to remain united.
Congress Candidate Had Local Advantage
Congress candidate Ghanshyam Singh entered the bypoll with significant political experience, having served as a two-time MLA. The Congress had also won the Datia seat in the 2023 Assembly election, giving the party an organisational advantage.
Although the BJP deployed several senior leaders during the campaign, it was unable to convert that effort into votes. The combination of local political dynamics, the Congress’s existing support base and anti-incumbency appears to have contributed more to the BJP’s defeat than any single individual.
Also Read: Gujarat Bypoll Results: BJP Holds Manjalpur, Congress Falls Short
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: abplive.com
