Why Shiv Sena (UBT) Offered BJP’s Narottam Mishra a Datia By-Election 2026 Ticket
Shiv Sena (UBT) has offered its Datia Assembly bypoll ticket to former Madhya Pradesh Home Minister Narottam Mishra after the BJP denied him a ticket. The offer comes amid protests by Mishra's supporters over BJP candidate Ashutosh Tiwari. Mishra has not responded to the proposal and has said he will support the BJP candidate during the July 30 by-election.
Former Madhya Pradesh Home Minister Narottam Mishra met Chief Minister Mohan Yadav and senior BJP leaders in Bhopal on Saturday, July 11, a day after the party denied him a ticket for the Datia Assembly bypoll. The meeting came amid protests by Mishra's supporters, while a fresh political twist emerged with Shiv Sena (UBT) offering him its ticket for the July 30 by-election.
The BJP has fielded Ashutosh Tiwari from Datia, triggering unrest among Mishra's supporters. Despite the disappointment, Mishra indicated he would campaign for the BJP candidate and appealed to his supporters to remain calm.
Why Did Shiv Sena (UBT) Offer Mishra a Ticket?
Shiv Sena (UBT) said it offered its Datia bypoll ticket to Narottam Mishra after discussions within the party leadership. State unit chief Sunil Sharma said that if Mishra accepts the proposal, Shiv Sena (UBT) president Uddhav Thackeray, Aaditya Thackeray and other senior leaders would campaign for him in Datia.
The offer comes after the BJP overlooked Mishra, a senior party leader and former state home minister, while selecting its candidate for the by-election. Mishra has not responded publicly to the offer.
Narottam Mishra Meets BJP Leadership
On Saturday, Mishra met Chief Minister Mohan Yadav, BJP state president Hemant Khandelwal and organisation general secretary Ajay Jamwal at the Chief Minister's residence in Bhopal.
After the meeting, Mishra said he remained committed to the BJP's campaign in Datia. “We had a good discussion. We talked about making Datia win; we are winning Datia, and we will win. I have already told them (supporters) to show patience and peace, and slowly everything will be fine. I’ll be a part of the nomination," he said.
Protests After BJP Denied Ticket
The BJP's decision to field Ashutosh Tiwari instead of Mishra sparked protests across Datia. According to officials, more than 3,000 supporters blocked National Highway-44 for nearly 12 hours. The protest turned violent, with the Datia Superintendent of Police and several police personnel sustaining injuries.
The political fallout also affected the BJP's local organisation, with several office-bearers, including the district president and corporators, reportedly resigning over the candidate selection.
BJP Rules Out Candidate Change
Amid speculation that the BJP could reconsider its decision, senior party leader and Madhya Pradesh minister Kailash Vijayvargiya ruled out any change in the candidate.
“The BJP is a democratic party. Workers express their views, but they are disciplined. Once they are spoken to, everyone will accept the party’s decision and Ashutosh Tiwari will win by a huge margin," Vijayvargiya said. He added that Mishra would continue to support the party.
“Many people prepare to contest elections, but not everyone can get a ticket. The party’s decision is paramount, and every worker will abide by it," he said.
Rejecting speculation about a change, Vijayvargiya said, “Once a candidate is declared, there has never been a tradition in the BJP of changing the ticket. I don’t think the candidate will be changed."
Why Is the Datia Bypoll Being Held?
The Datia Assembly by-election became necessary after Congress MLA Rajendra Bharti lost his Assembly membership following his conviction and a three-year prison sentence in a cheating case in April.
Bharti, who later secured bail, had defeated Narottam Mishra by more than 7,500 votes in the 2023 Madhya Pradesh Assembly elections.
According to the Election Commission schedule, polling will be held on July 30, while counting of votes is scheduled for August 3.
The Datia bypoll has emerged as a key political contest, with the BJP seeking to contain internal dissent while attempting to regain the seat from the Congress.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jul 11, 2026 09:48 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).
