Datia (Madhya Pradesh): Former Madhya Pradesh Home Minister and veteran Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Narottam Mishra on Thursday stepped into the Datia Assembly by-election campaign with a call for organisational unity, asserting that the political contest was a battle for the party and not for its candidate Ashutosh Tiwari, amid reports of discontent among a section of local workers over the party’s candidature choice.
“This election is not about Ashutosh. It is about the BJP. People outside Datia will not see whether Ashutosh won or lost; they will see whether the BJP won or lost,” Mishra said while addressing BJP workers during his first public meeting after announcing that he would join Tiwari’s campaign from Thursday.
His remarks were seen as a clear attempt to rally the party cadre and shift the focus away from the candidate to the organisation.
Mishra repeatedly urged party workers to set aside personal differences and work for the BJP’s victory, saying the bypoll would ultimately be judged as the party’s win or loss.
Recalling the violence that erupted after the BJP announced Ashutosh Tiwari its candidate for Datia bypoll, the former Madhya Pradesh Home Minister said he was deeply moved after seeing several BJP workers injured and broke down while addressing party workers later that day.
“My eyes filled with tears after seeing our workers injured. There are 230 Assembly constituencies in Madhya Pradesh, but today the entire state’s attention is on Datia because of what you have done here. With workers like you by my side, it makes no difference whether I hold any post or not,” Mishra added.
Describing the BJP as the workers’ “mother”, the former Home Minister said the Datia by-election was an opportunity for party workers to stand united behind the organisation.
“The BJP is our mother. There comes a time when one has to repay the debt owed to one’s mother, and that time has now come for the workers of Datia,” he said, urging the party cadre to ensure the BJP’s victory.
Continuing his appeal for unity, Mishra added that party workers should not personalise the election around Ashutosh Tiwari or remain unhappy over ticket distribution, asserting that the BJP was bigger than any individual.
“Does Ashutosh Tiwari have the authority to cancel my ticket? It is the Almighty who decides tickets. You do not have access to Him; I am the one who speaks to Him,” he said, indicating that differences over the party’s candidate should not overshadow its electoral prospects.
Drawing a parallel with the BJP’s victories in other states, Mishra said party workers celebrate the organisation’s success irrespective of who the candidate is.
“When the BJP wins in West Bengal, workers across the country celebrate even without knowing the names of the candidates. They celebrate because the BJP has won,” he added.
He also dismissed criticism of Ashutosh Tiwari on social media, saying such campaigns were not uncommon during elections and should not distract party workers from the larger objective.
The Datia Assembly by-election was necessitated following the death of sitting BJP MLA Rajendra Bharti.
The BJP has fielded Ashutosh Tiwari, while the Congress has nominated two-time former MLA Ghanshyam Singh, making the contest one of the most closely watched political battles in Madhya Pradesh.
The bypoll has acquired added political significance amid reports of differences within the BJP over the selection of its candidate.
Mishra’s entry into the poll campaign is being viewed as an effort by the BJP leadership to consolidate its cadre and project organisational unity in the Gwalior-Chambal region, while the Congress is seeking to capitalise on local sympathy and any signs of dissent within the ruling party.
Polling for the Datia Assembly by-election will be held on July 30, while counting of votes is scheduled for August 3.
(IANS)
