Madhya Pradesh: Supporters of Narottam Mishra clash with police during protests after BJP denied him ticket for Datia bypoll

Supporters of senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and former Madhya Pradesh Home Minister Narottam Mishra clashed with police and blocked a major national highway in Datia on Saturday, turning a political disagreement into a scene of chaos and violence following the party’s decision to deny him the ticket for the upcoming Datia assembly bypoll.

The unrest erupted after the BJP announced party leader Ashutosh Tiwari as its candidate for the July 30 by-election, sidelining Mishra, who had been eyeing a comeback and had even procured a nomination form. The move came as a major shock to his loyalists, many of whom had expected the party to field the experienced leader from the seat he had contested in the 2023 assembly polls.

Hundreds of Mishra’s supporters, numbering over 3,000 according to reports, took to the streets, and blocked National Highway-44 for nearly 12 hours. This led to massive traffic snarls stretching up to 15 kilometres, with vehicles stranded for hours. Protesters staged sit-ins, with some reportedly removing their shirts and lying on the road in a dramatic show of dissent.

The supporters said that they would not withdraw unless ‘Narottam Dada’ was given the ticket.

The situation escalated when the protesters clashed with polices and pelted stones at police personnel, injuring the Datia Superintendent of Police and several other officers. Police responded with tear gas shells to disperse the crowd. Vehicles belonging to the police and others were also damaged in the clashes.

Several protesters were arrested later by the police.

Datia SP Mayur Khandelwal said, “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 protests, which began on Friday evening and continued with intensity on Saturday, also saw markets in the district remaining shut. In a significant development, a large number of booth-level workers and local BJP leaders, including the district unit chief, announced their resignations en masse, giving the party a 24-hour ultimatum to reconsider its decision or face further rebellion.

In the meantime, Narottam Mishra has urged his supporters not to engage in violent acts, saying that this is the party’s decision. He said, “This is the party’s decision. I urge all party workers, especially after seeing videos on social media of workers pouring petrol or kerosene, not to engage in such actions. Within the party forum, views are expressed in an appropriate manner. They are not conveyed in this fashion.”

The Datia seat fell vacant after the disqualification of Congress MLA Rajendra Bharti over a bank fraud case. The bypoll holds importance in the politically sensitive Gwalior-Chambal region.⁠ As of now, the administration has deployed heavy police forces in the area to maintain law and order.

Written by OpIndia Staff
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