The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Saturday, 11 July firmly ruled out any reversal of its candidate selection for the Datia Assembly by-election, with Madhya Pradesh Urban Development Minister Kailash Vijayvargiya declaring that Ashutosh Tiwari remains the party's official nominee and that former Home Minister Narottam Mishra will actively campaign for him.

BJP Stands Firm on Tiwari's Candidature

Addressing a press conference in Indore, Vijayvargiya dismissed speculation that mounting internal pressure could force the party to reconsider its choice. 'The party takes its decisions after careful deliberation. It has never been the BJP's tradition to change a candidate after it has been announced, and I do not think there will be any change this time either. Ashutosh Tiwari is a strong candidate and he will certainly win the election. Narottam Mishra will also work for the party,' he said.

Vijayvargiya also revealed that Mishra had attempted to reach him following the announcement. 'Narottam Mishra called me two or three times yesterday, but we could not speak. Many people prepare to contest elections. Madhya Pradesh has 230 Assembly seats and nearly 2,000 people aspire for tickets. Not everyone can be accommodated. If the party has taken a decision, it must have done so after due consideration,' he added.

Background: How the Datia Bypoll Was Triggered

The BJP announced Tiwari as its candidate on Friday after the Delhi High Court upheld the conviction of former Congress MLA Rajendra Bharti, clearing the way for the 30 July bypoll. Mishra, a prominent BJP figure and former state Home Minister, had reportedly expected the ticket and his exclusion set off an immediate backlash among his supporters.

Demonstrations in Datia turned violent on Saturday, with several local BJP office-bearers submitting their resignations in protest. This is a rare and visible instance of public dissent within a party that has long prided itself on cadre discipline.

Vijayvargiya on Party Unity

The senior leader sought to project confidence that the rift would be short-lived. 'There is internal democracy in the BJP. Once we sit together and speak, everyone will come together. I can say today itself that Ashutosh Tiwari will win the Datia by-election by a huge margin,' Vijayvargiya said, asserting that BJP workers were disciplined enough to rally behind the official nominee.

Digvijaya Singh Takes a Swipe at BJP

Congress leader and former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Digvijaya Singh was quick to capitalise on the BJP's internal turbulence. In a post on social media platform X, Singh wrote: 'Wow, Narottam Mishra ji, you have done something remarkable. Through your protest, you have outdone both the Congress and the BJP in Madhya Pradesh. Congratulations. Keep it up. Jai Siya Ram.'

The remark, laced with sarcasm, underscored how the BJP's candidate selection row has handed the opposition a ready-made narrative of disarray within the ruling party ahead of the bypoll.

What Happens Next

With the Datia by-election scheduled for 30 July, the BJP faces a dual challenge: containing the visible dissent among Mishra's loyalists and ensuring Tiwari receives the ground-level support needed to win. Whether Mishra's eventual public endorsement — as promised by Vijayvargiya — will be enough to reunite a fractured local unit remains to be seen.