Political Turmoil in Madhya Pradesh BJP Over Ticket Cuts
Political Unrest in Datia BJP Unit
The BJP's Datia unit in Madhya Pradesh is experiencing significant political upheaval following the decision to deny a ticket to former Home Minister Narottam Mishra for the upcoming by-elections. In his place, Ashutosh Tiwari has been nominated, leading to widespread discontent among party members. District President Raghuveer Saran and several councilors have collectively resigned in protest. The situation escalated as thousands of Mishra's supporters blocked the Jhansi Highway (NH-44) and clashed with police, resulting in heightened tensions in the area. To manage the unrest, authorities have enforced Section 163 of the Indian National Security Code (BNS), previously known as Section 144.
Supporters also engaged in stone-pelting against the police, prompting the deployment of additional security forces to restore order.
Traffic Disruptions and Police Response
The administration has now implemented Section 163 of the BNS. District Magistrate Swapnil Wankhede reported, "Traffic congestion persisted until 5 AM, affecting four districts—Datia, Jhansi, Shivpuri, and Gwalior—with Gwalior being the hardest hit, where several ambulances were trapped in the jam. We attempted to negotiate with the protesters since yesterday, but they were unyielding; even at 4 AM, our efforts were met with stone-throwing."
He further explained, "To disperse the crowd, we resorted to using tear gas. Eight of our personnel sustained serious injuries, and several police vehicles were damaged. We did not initiate any baton charges or stone-throwing; tear gas was deployed only after our warnings were ignored. However, if they continue to gather in groups of 5 to 10, we are prepared to take action." Datia's SP Mayur Khandelwal informed that over 3,000 rioters attempted to disrupt the peace in Datia city, trying to shut down local markets. They had been sitting in protest since 6 PM the previous day, leading to a traffic jam stretching approximately 15 kilometers, affecting surrounding districts as well.
He added, "The police used tear gas, which intensified the stone-throwing. More than six of our officers were seriously injured and have been hospitalized, including myself and the Additional SP. We then deployed tear gas again to disperse them. They are now hiding, and we have instructed them to either surrender or leave peacefully. The blockade will not be tolerated, and some individuals have been detained for further action. Efforts are underway to clear the traffic jam, and police presence is heightened throughout Datia."
Background on Narottam Mishra
Narottam Mishra has served as the state's former Home Minister and has represented the Datia assembly constituency since 2008. He has consistently defeated former MLA Rajendra Bharti in elections. Mishra first won a seat in 1990 from the Dabra constituency, defeating BSP candidate Lal Ghaghele by over 7,000 votes. However, he faced defeat in the subsequent election, finishing third in 1993 behind BSP's Jawahar Singh Rawat and Congress's Sitaram Dubey. He won the next two elections in 1998 and 2003 from Dabra.
During the tenures of Babulal Gaur and Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Mishra was entrusted with various ministries, including Health and Family Welfare, Water Resources, Information and Public Relations, Medical Education, AYUSH, Housing, Education, and Urban Development. In 2009, he lost the Lok Sabha elections from the Guna seat to Congress leader Jyotiraditya Scindia by a significant margin of 249,737 votes. In the upcoming Madhya Pradesh Assembly elections in 2023, Mishra is set to face Congress candidate Rajendra Bharti once again.