Datia bypoll: BJP fields Ashutosh Tiwari, drops Narottam Mishra

The Bharatiya Janata Party’s decision to replace former Madhya Pradesh Home Minister Narottam Mishra with former regional organisational secretary Ashutosh Tiwari as its candidate for the Datia Assembly by-election has triggered intense political discussion, with the move widely seen as a strategic attempt to balance electoral considerations with internal power equations.

Mishra remained the frontrunner until the final stages of candidate selection. After his meeting with Chief Minister Mohan Yadav on July 6, the State BJP reportedly forwarded his name as the sole recommendation to the central leadership. However, the situation changed after feedback gathered by the party from the ground suggested that his electoral position was not as comfortable as initially assessed. Sources said the central leadership also sought an internal assessment regarding the political perception surrounding his son, Sukarn Mishra, before revisiting the candidature.

The party eventually chose Ashutosh Tiwari, an organisational leader with a Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) background and a relatively low-profile public image, believing he offered better electoral acceptability and fewer political liabilities.

Political observers believe the decision was influenced as much by organisational strategy as by electoral arithmetic. Mishra was among the most influential ministers in the Shivraj Singh Chouhan Government and was widely regarded as one of the BJP’s most powerful leaders in Madhya Pradesh. A victory in the by-election would almost certainly have strengthened his claim for a return to the State Cabinet with a significant portfolio, potentially creating another influential power centre within the party.

With several senior leaders, including Kailash Vijayvargiya, Prahlad Patel and Assembly Speaker Narendra Singh Tomar, already occupying key positions in the State, while Union leaders Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Jyotiraditya Scindia and VD Sharma continue to wield considerable influence, the BJP leadership is believed to have preferred maintaining the existing balance rather than allowing another dominant political centre to emerge.