MP BJP Chief Confident of Massive Win in Datia Bypoll Ahead of Nomination

Will win Datia bypoll with "massive majority": MP BJP chief Hemant Khandelwal ahead of Ashutosh Tiwari's nomination filing

Datia, July 12

He expressed confidence that the party would win the bypoll by a ''massive majority''. Khandelwal said CM Yadav, Narottam Mishra and thousands of BJP workers would participate in the nomination rally.

"Ashutosh ji will file his nomination papers tomorrow. Thousands of workers will participate in the nomination rally alongside our Chief Minister and Narottam Mishra ji. Thanks to the hard work of Bharatiya Janata Party workers and the guidance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji and our National President Nitin Nabin ji, the BJP will win this election with a massive majority," Khandelwal told reporters here.

"We have spoken to all the workers. They will all work for the Bharatiya Janata Party, and the party will secure a massive majority," he added.

Earlier in the day, Narottam Mishra said he did not meet the top BJP leadership during his visit to Delhi, after being denied the party ticket to the Datia bypoll.

His comments came after he travelled to the national capital after the BJP denied him a ticket for the Datia Assembly by-election and fielded Ashutosh Tiwari instead. Mishra had contested and lost the Datia Assembly seat in the 2023 elections.

"I didn't meet any leader," Mishra told reporters. When asked whether he had met BJP national president Nitin Nabin, he replied, "No, no such meeting took place. I wasn't even called for one."

Narottam Mishra reiterated his support for the party's nominee and said he would attend the nomination filing.

"I will definitely attend Ashutosh ji's nomination filing. I am accompanying the Chief Minister, and I will be with Ashutosh ji when the nomination is filed," he said.

Following the BJP's decision to deny Mishra a ticket, his supporters protested in Datia on Saturday, where demonstrators blocked National Highway-44 for nearly 11 hours. Eight police personnel were injured in the stone-pelting, and traffic movement across four districts was affected during the protests.

The Datia Assembly seat fell vacant following the disqualification of Rajendra Bharti on April 2. The disqualification was under the provisions of Section 8 of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, and Article 191(1)(e) of the Constitution.

The Election Commission of India has announced that polling for the Datia Assembly bypoll will be held on July 30, while counting of votes will take place on August 3.

— ANI