Bhopal/Datia, Aug 5 — Senior BJP leader and former Madhya Pradesh Home Minister, Narottam Mishra, on Wednesday rejected speculation of differences with the party's Datia bypoll candidate Ashutosh Tiwari, saying the two share a 25-year family relationship and that attempts to portray them as rivals were "completely baseless".
Mishra’s statement came two days after BJP candidate Ashutosh Tiwari lost the Datia Assembly bypoll to Congress' Ghanshyam Singh by 6,016 votes.
Following the defeat, political circles and social media were abuzz with claims that the BJP’s setback was the result of internal factionalism and that Mishra, a three-time MLA from Datia who lost the seat to the Congress' Rajendra Bharti in the 2023 Assembly elections, had not fully backed Tiwari's campaign.
The political significance of Mishra's statement has increased as the Madhya Pradesh BJP on Tuesday dissolved its entire Datia district unit, including removal of the district president and all block presidents, amid an organisational review following the bypoll defeat.
Amid the speculation, Mishra met Ashutosh Tiwari on Wednesday in Bhopal and later issued a detailed statement stressing that there had never been any bitterness between them.
“The misleading and false things being spread on social media regarding me and Ashutosh Tiwari after the Datia bypoll are completely baseless. Ashutosh is like my younger brother. There has never been any bitterness between us, nor is there any today. Even today, we met with the same warmth and affection as always,” Mishra said in a statement.
Calling Tiwari a committed BJP worker, Mishra said he had known him since the 2003 Assembly election in Dabra and had watched his political journey closely.
“I have always seen Ashutosh as an honest and dedicated BJP worker. I have closely observed his working style over the years and I am confident that he will continue to live up to the expectations of the organisation and the people. Politics has its ups and downs, but family, values and relationships are permanent,” he added.
Mishra also appreciated Tiwari for not blaming anyone after the election result, saying it reflected his respect for party workers.
He appealed to BJP workers and supporters not to make comments or engage in any activity that could harm the party, the organisation or Ashutosh Tiwari, asserting that the BJP's strength lies in its unity, discipline and values.
The Datia bypoll was necessitated after the disqualification of Congress MLA Rajendra Bharti following his conviction in a bank fraud case in April this year.
The result, declared on August 3 wherein the Congress’ Ghanshyam Singh defeat Ashutosh Tiwari by 6,016 votes, dealt the ruling BJP a setback in a constituency that had long been associated with Narottam Mishra.