Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Dr Mohan Yadav on Monday took a jibe at Congress, saying the grand old party gives election tickets only to those close to its high command and those with a high-profile family background, while the BJP always encourages its ground-level workers and makes them candidates for elections.
The CM made the remarks while addressing a rally at the Kila Chowk in Datia, before BJP candidate for the Assembly by-polls, Ashutosh Tiwari, filed his nomination papers in the afternoon.
Dr Yadav said it was expected that Congress would give the ticket either to a ground-level worker or someone from former MLA Rajendra Bharti’s family, but the party overlooked both and gave the ticket to a person close to the high command who belongs to a royal family.
Rajendra Bharti was the sitting MLA from Datia in the 2023 Assembly polls, but his Assembly membership was quashed after a special MP/MLA Court in New Delhi on 2 April convicted him and sentenced him to three years jail in a 28-year-old case of bank fraud.
The development led to the necessity of the by-poll in Datia.
During the rally, the CM also told former MP Home Minister and BJP’s losing candidate in the 2023 Assembly polls, Narottam Mishra, that the responsibility of ensuring Tiwari’s win in these by-polls was on his shoulders. Dr Yadav said that Mishra must consider Tiwari as his younger brother and ensure his victory.
In response, an emotional-looking Narottam Mishra also assured that the entire BJP is standing together. He asserted that they would win this by-election with the strength of every party worker.
Mishra also pledged to campaign extensively for BJP candidate Ashutosh Tiwari, saying he would bow before every household in Datia to seek support for the party’s nominee in the by-election.
Narottam Mishra considered himself certain of getting the party ticket for these by-polls, and he had even purchased the nomination form and launched campaigning on his own.
However, his expectations were quashed when the BJP Central Leadership gave the ticket to Ashutosh Tiwari instead. The decision also resulted in a major violent protest by Mishra’s supporters in Datia.
Nonetheless, the party hauled up Mishra and quickly tried to suppress the unrest, while sticking to its decision of Tiwari as the party candidate.
Meanwhile, the Congress candidate, Ghanshyam Singh, also filed his nomination papers earlier on Monday, as it was the last date for filing nominations for the by-election.
Singh not only belongs to Datia’s erstwhile royal family, which commands immense respect among the local population, but has also won the seat twice, in 1993 and 2003, on the Congress ticket. He also won the neighbouring Sewda seat for the Congress in 2018 but finished a close second on the seat to BJP candidate Pradeep Agrawal in the 2023 Assembly polls.
According to the Election Commission’s schedule, voting for the by-election would be held on 30 July, and the results would be declared on 3 August.