Datia becomes a challenge for Narottam Mishra:2018 election margin drops to 2,656 votes; Bharti enters race after changing 4 parties

Voting for the Datia Assembly seat will be held on July 30. The last date for filing nominations is July 13, but neither the BJP nor the Congress has announced its candidate so far. However, former Home Minister Dr Narottam Mishra is considered the likely BJP candidate. The previous election results suggest that the warning signs for Mishra had appeared as early as 2018, when he defeated Congress leader Rajendra Bharti by only 2,656 votes. Five years later, in 2023, the contest turned around as Bharti defeated Mishra by 7,742 votes. Now, Mishra has been apologising to party workers and voters during public programmes for his “mistakes”. Congress leaders are calling it a political admission. Bharti became rebel candidate after losing Congress ticket Rajendra Bharti’s father Shyam Sundar was a four-time MLA from Datia. Bharti himself contested his first Assembly election in 1985 and won on a Congress ticket. He became an MLA again in 1990. In 1993, Congress fielded Ghanshyam Singh from Datia, who won the seat. In 1998, when Congress gave the ticket to Chandan Singh, Bharti rebelled and contested on a Samajwadi Party ticket, winning the election. In 2003, after Congress again nominated Ghanshyam Singh, Bharti contested on a Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) ticket but lost. In 2008, he fought the election on a BSP ticket after Congress again backed Ghanshyam Singh. That year, BJP’s Dr Narottam Mishra won Datia. Bharti returned to Congress in 2013 and lost two consecutive elections in 2013 and 2018 before defeating Mishra in 2023. Narottam shifted to Datia after Dabra became reserved Dr Narottam Mishra originally belongs to Dabra. He won the Dabra Assembly seat in 1990, 1998 and 2003. After delimitation made Dabra a reserved seat in 2008, Mishra shifted to neighbouring Datia. He won from Datia in 2008, 2013 and 2018, but lost to Rajendra Bharti in 2023. BJP leader Mukesh Mudotia also seeks ticket A new contender has emerged in the BJP for the Datia bypoll. Former Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) district president Mukesh Mudotia has written to the party leadership seeking a ticket. This is the first time in 13 years that a BJP leader from Datia, considered Mishra’s stronghold, has openly staked a claim for the ticket. According to BJP sources, Mudotia has sent letters to several senior leaders, including BJP national president Nitin Naveen, national joint organisation general secretary Shiv Prakash, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, JP Nadda and Madhya Pradesh BJP president Hemant Khandelwal. In his letter dated July 6, Mudotia raised the issue of a “local versus outsider” candidate. He wrote that the face being discussed for the ticket is not a permanent resident of Datia and urged the party to give an opportunity to a local, active and grassroots worker. Mudotia highlights political experience Mudotia said he has been associated with the BJP for four decades and served as BJYM district president twice between 2000 and 2005. He also mentioned his role as a party election in-charge in Uttar Pradesh and Haryana Assembly elections, claiming that he helped the organisation achieve victories there. Along with political work, he also highlighted his social activities in his letter. Datia battle set before candidate announcement Although no party has officially announced its candidate yet, campaigning has already started in Datia. BJP’s Narottam Mishra is currently the most visible face on the ground, holding public meetings and reaching out to voters. Congress is likely to again rely on Rajendra Bharti, who ended Mishra’s three-election winning streak in 2023.