BJP's Narottam Mishra, denied ticket, cries during colleague's nomination rally
What's the story
Former Madhya Pradesh Home Minister Narottam Mishra broke down during a rally for Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate Ashutosh Tiwari in Datia. The emotional moment came after Mishra, a six-time MLA, was denied a party ticket for the upcoming assembly bypolls. The BJP had announced Tiwari as its candidate for the July 30 by-election, replacing Mishra, who lost his seat in the 2023 Assembly elections to Congress leader Rajendra Bharti.
Protest aftermath
Mishra's supporters protest against BJP's decision
Days ago, Mishra's supporters had protested against the decision by blocking National Highway 44 for nearly 12 hours.
The protests had turned violent, with stone-pelting reported at several locations. To disperse the crowd, police used tear gas after senior officers were injured in clashes with demonstrators.
The protest left traffic paralyzed and resulted in a 15km-long jam.
Over 30 people were booked for rioting and vandalism during these protests.
Twitter Post
Video shows emotional BJP leader
#WATCH | Madhya Pradesh: BJP leader Narottam Mishra gets emotional during the nomination rally of BJP candidate from Datia, Ashutosh Tiwari, ahead of the Datia by-elections. pic.twitter.com/TfkQ9TM7vO
— ANI (@ANI) July 13, 2026
Alternative offer
300 office bearers resigned
Amid the protest, nearly 300 office bearers from the district to the panchayat level resigned from their posts.
"I will pacify the workers, who are upset over the denial of tickets in Datia. I respect the decision taken by the party. I can assure that everyone will work together for the party," Mishra said on Saturday, after he met the state leadership in Bhopal.
Rival candidate
Congress fields Kunwar Ghanshyam Singh in Datia
The Congress has fielded Kunwar Ghanshyam Singh, head of Datia's royal family, as its candidate for the bypoll.
Singh said it was a big responsibility for him, as the party had shown trust in him.
The Election Commission of India has announced polling for the Datia Assembly bypoll will be held on July 30, with counting on August 3.