‘Party takes decisions after due deliberation’: Vijayvargiya; Digvijaya takes swipe at BJP over Datia bypoll row

Indore/Datia, July 11 (IANS) The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Saturday ruled out any change in its candidate for the Datia Assembly by-election, with senior party leader and Madhya Pradesh Urban Development Minister Kailash Vijayvargiya asserting that the former Home Minister Narottam Mishra would campaign for the party’s official nominee, Ashutosh Tiwari.

His remarks came amid continuing unrest in Datia following the BJP’s decision to deny a ticket to Mishra.

As the ruling BJP sought to project unity, senior Congress leader and former Chief Minister Digvijaya Singh took a sarcastic swipe at both the BJP leadership and Mishra over the controversy.

Addressing a press conference in Indore, Vijayvargiya dismissed speculation that the BJP could reconsider its decision after protests by a section of party workers.

“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,” Vijayvargiya said.

The senior BJP leader also disclosed that Mishra had attempted to contact him after the party announced Tiwari’s candidature.

“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 said.

Vijayvargiya added that resentment among party workers would soon subside, asserting that BJP workers were disciplined and would unite behind the official candidate.

“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,” he said.

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 July 30 bypoll.

The decision triggered protests by Narottam Mishra’s supporters, with several local BJP office-bearers resigning and demonstrations in Datia turning violent on Saturday.

Amid the political row, Digvijaya Singh mocked the BJP over the unusual public dissent within its ranks.

“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,” Digvijaya Singh wrote on social media platform X.

–IANS

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