The result of the Datia by-election in Madhya Pradesh isn’t just a story of the BJP losing a single seat. This time, several political experiments were conducted simultaneously. Narottam Mishra was dropped from the ticket and a new candidate was fielded. Chief Minister Mohan Yadav took the lead in balancing the Yadav vote, and on the other hand, the Congress tried to reach out to Yadav voters through Akhilesh Yadav. Meanwhile, Damodar Yadav of the Azad Samaj Party made the contest triangular by garnering over 22,000 votes. Ultimately, Ghanshyam Singh of the Congress secured 66,757 votes, while Ashutosh Tiwari of the BJP received 60,741 votes. The victory margin was 6,016 votes.
First, Narottam was dropped, then hopes of victory were pinned on him.
The election scenario in Datia began with the BJP’s ticket decision. Instead of fielding former Home Minister Narottam Mishra, the party chose Ashutosh Tiwari, a member of the organization. Mishra has been a multiple-time MLA from Datia and has long been the BJP’s main face in this constituency. In 2023, he was defeated by Rajendra Bharti of the Congress.
After his ticket was denied, the displeasure of his supporters became apparent. There were protests, road blockades, and even confrontations with the police. This meant that persuading the supporters of the candidate denied the ticket became the BJP’s first electoral crisis.
An emotional Narottam took the stage, with Mohan Yadav in attendance.
The BJP then began damage control. On July 13, during Ashutosh Tiwari’s nomination, Narottam Mishra appeared on stage with Chief Minister Mohan Yadav and other senior party leaders. Just days after the supporters’ protests, Mishra publicly pledged to work for the BJP candidate and ensure his victory.
The political message was clear: even though he didn’t get the ticket, the responsibility of winning the election still rested with Narottam. But in electoral politics, public support and on-the-ground vote transfer aren’t always the same thing.
Akhilesh Yadav’s ‘no-show’ maneuver against Mohan Yadav
The Yadav vote equation was also crucial in the Datia election. The BJP had the state’s biggest Yadav face in Chief Minister Mohan Yadav. On the other hand, the Congress did not ignore this social equation.
According to The Indian Express, “Congress state president Jitu Patwari contacted Akhilesh Yadav to garner Yadav votes, and Samajwadi Party leaders increased their activity in Datia. This meant that, at Akhilesh’s behest, the Yadav vote transferred to the Congress. This meant that Mohan Yadav’s maneuver failed. Meanwhile, Akhilesh Yadav’s name came into the discussion, albeit remotely, in the Congress strategy.”
SP chief Akhilesh Yadav said, “The BJP conducted fair elections in Bankipur… There was no dishonesty… After the defeat, there’s nothing left in BJP workers… Don’t talk about Datia… pic.twitter.com/f4na2fQU11
— Romita Tiwari (@romita_tiwari) August 4, 2026
Akhilesh said on Datia, “Don’t talk about it.”
After the results were announced, Akhilesh Yadav targeted the BJP and took a dig at the results in Datia and Bankipur. He said, “You guys should try to understand the BJP.” Regarding Bankipur, he said that the BJP conducted fair elections there and did not indulge in any dishonesty. Referring to Datia, he sarcastically said, “Don’t even talk about Datia…”
Akhilesh also attacked the BJP, saying: “The Bharatiya Janata Party workers have nothing left. This is a return gift for the BJP for 12 years. If the BJP had fought the election like Kundarki or Bengal and deployed force, it wouldn’t have lost. They wanted to see how much anger there was without involving the police, without any dishonesty, and without committing EVM scams. This isn’t a defeat. They have decided how much the public will vote for without dishonesty…”
The Narottam Factor: Was anger suppressed or converted into votes?
Now the story returns to Narottam Mishra. His influence in Datia isn’t limited to election posters or speeches. He has long been the face of the BJP in the region. The anger of his supporters after his ticket was denied certainly indicates that it will not be easy for the party to ignore his influence.
Pictures of Narottam Mishra becoming emotional during the nomination process also made headlines. He then announced his support for the party candidate, but the results raised another question: did his supporters accept the leadership’s decision, but fail to fully support him at the voting level?
A conclusive answer to this cannot be given from the currently available data. But it is certain that the Congress won the seat where the BJP was relying on its long-standing organizational influence.
Had sought a ticket from Datia…
Meanwhile, a statement by Narottam Mishra is going viral on social media following the results of the Datia Assembly elections. In an interview with a TV channel, he said that he had never sought a Rajya Sabha or Lok Sabha seat, but had certainly sought a ticket for the assembly elections. He also said that he had been an MLA for 30 years and the party had appointed him as a minister for 15 years.