Denying reports of rift with Narottam Mishra after he was denied a ticket for Datia byelection, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Ashutosh Tiwari said on Monday that he has learnt a lot from Madhya Pradesh's former home minister, while referring to him as a 'guardian'.
Speaking exclusively with India TV about the last week's violent protests by Mishra's supporters, Tiwari described the BJP as a cadre-based party where every karyakarta is allowed to express his or her opinion. He also hoped to register a big win in Datia, which has remained a traditional BJP stronghold.
"There is complete democracy in the BJP, and karyakartas can openly express their views. That's why the BJP is different from other political organisations. BJP always gives freedom to the karyakartas," Tiwari said.
"Narottam Mishra is a senior leader of the party, and I am glad that I have worked under him. I have learnt a lot from him. He is like a guardian to me. I have stayed with him, worked with him and learnt a lot from him. For the last three to four days, I have regularly held telephonic conversations with him and sought his blessings," he told India TV when asked about Mishra.
Datia has been Mishra's bastion, who has won three assembly elections thrice from this seat: 2008, 2013 and 2018. However, he suffered a surprise defeat to Congress' Rajendra Bharti in the 2023 Madhya Pradesh elections, losing to him by just over 7,000 votes.
Bharti's assembly membership was terminated earlier this year after he was convicted in a cheating case, and it was widely believed that Mishra would be given a ticket for the bypoll. However, the BJP top brass nominated Tiwari, which left Mishra's supporters disappointed, who last week staged a violent protest in Datia.
Mishra, however, has backed Tiwari and vowed to engage in door-to-door campaigning for him. The senior BJP leader also urged his supporters to back Tiwari and respect the high command's decision.
The voting in Datia is slated to be held on July 30 and results will be declared on August 3.
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