THE BJP's defeat in Datia is being attributed solely to sabotage (bheetarghat) by Narottam Mishra. He has remained the focal point of discussion before, during, and even after the election. However, this is a calculated move by the BJP-aligned media. It is an attempt to mask the failures of the BJP government and the Chief Minister, as well as a ploy to divert attention from the fundamental reasons behind the defeat.

The question arises: did the BJP lose solely due to internal sabotage? Was there no sabotage within the Congress? Following the election results, the BJP took disciplinary action by dissolving the entire district executive committee and all its wings. In contrast, the Congress had suspended former MLA Rajendra Bharti from the party for six years before the results were even declared. This, despite the fact that from the very beginning of the campaign, the Congress had been canvassing by highlighting the injustice done to him. While sabotage did occur within the BJP, the sabotage within the Congress was equally evident. The Congress had established a lead of over 14,000 votes in urban areas. It expected an even larger lead in rural areas; however, as the counting reached Rajendra Bharti's area of influence, the Congress began to lag, and its winning margin stalled at 6,000 votes. Therefore, making internal sabotage the central issue amounts to ignoring public sentiment and disrespecting the popular mandate.

It was not just the people of Datia, but the entire state, who viewed this election as unnecessary and imposed. Even setting aside the debate over the legal and technical merits of the cooperative bank case—in which Rajendra Bharti was convicted—there is a standard legal provision allowing an appeal to the High Court against any court verdict. Following his conviction and the imposition of a three-year sentence, Rajendra Bharti had the right to approach the Supreme Court. Yet, the haste shown by the Assembly Secretary—who opened the secretariat at midnight to declare the Datia Assembly seat vacant—was striking. That very night, the Assembly Speaker declared the Datia seat vacant. This led the general public to believe that the entire affair was part of a conspiracy. Rejecting this conspiracy, the people have delivered their verdict.

MANDATE AGAINST BJP MISRULE

While the election narrative is being reduced to the tears of Narottam Mishra, a fundamental fact is being overlooked: the public has delivered a mandate against these BJP for the second time. A similar scenario played out earlier in Vijaypur, when Ramniwas Rawat—who had won on a Congress ticket in 2023—resigned from the party and joined the BJP during the Lok Sabha elections. The BJP appointed him a minister first, and he resigned as an MLA only after an uproar ensued. The entire state machinery was mobilised during the Vijaypur assembly by-election while Rawat was a minister; the government and administration were blatantly flouting the Model Code of Conduct. Yet, defying intimidation, fear, greed, and the influence of money and muscle power, the people defeated the BJP.

When the BJP failed to learn from that experience, the public once again held up a mirror to the BJP. Isn't pinning the blame solely on Narottam Mishra tantamount to overestimating his stature? The BJP’s Chief Minister, over a dozen ministers, more than a hundred MLAs and former MLAs, organizational office-bearers, and numerous MPs and Union Ministers were overseeing responsibilities right down to the booth level. Given the presence of all these figures, how can the BJP’s defeat be attributed solely to Narottam Mishra?

This election took place against a backdrop where the entire nation was witnessing the BJP’s anti-democratic manoeuvres. The grounds cited for rejecting the Congress candidate's nomination during the Rajya Sabha elections failed to convince any rational observer. At that time, the roles played by the Assembly Secretary, the Election Commission, and the Supreme Court left the public disillusioned. Everyone was left wondering: were these truly fair democratic elections, or was democracy being reduced to a farce in the name of an election?

Furthermore, one must not forget that this election took place against the backdrop of paper leaks, a 26-day-long protest by the students at Jantar Mantar, and the brutal crackdown against them on July 20. During this same period, farmers were grappling with a fertiliser crisis. Can these circumstances be overlooked? By focusing on Narottam Mishra, the BJP is attempting to mask the government's failures and divert attention from internal factionalism.

BJP’S FACTIONAL INFIGHTING

This is the very factionalism that surfaced openly following the Datia election results. The Chief Minister's initial reaction was that the Congress retained its seat, while the BJP actually saw an increase of 1,700 votes. However, if the Congress seat was destined to remain with the Congress, what was the need for the Chief Minister, three Union ministers, over a dozen state ministers, two MPs, and more than a hundred MLAs and former MLAs to camp in Datia for a month? Why were crores of rupees squandered? Even BJP members themselves did not buy the Chief Minister's rationalisation. Commenting on the matter, former Chief Minister Uma Bharti remarked that one should not harbour the misconception that an increase in votes matters; a defeat is a defeat, and the BJP lost the Datia election. Another former minister, Yashodhara Raje, tweeted that BJP leaders ought to introspect following this defeat.

Interestingly, even as the Chief Minister was highlighting the increase in votes, the BJP was preparing for a review meeting. The very next day, the party announced disciplinary action involving the removal of district office-bearers, executive committee members, block committee members, and office-bearers of all party cells from their posts. News headlines highlighted that disciplinary action had been taken against 1,100 people; in reality, however, the action affected nine thousand individuals. The BJP has 711 booth committees in the district, with 11 members per committee—bringing the total number of members to 7,821. These committees, too, have been dissolved. The action taken against nine thousand party workers and district leaders clearly illustrates the widening and deepening chasm of mistrust between the BJP leadership and its cadre.

DIVISIONS GO RIGHT TO THE TOP

However, this conflict is not limited to Datia or Narottam Mishra alone. Ever since the Assembly Secretariat was opened at midnight to declare the Datia seat vacant, it was widely believed that the move was orchestrated for Narottam’s benefit. Narottam Mishra had begun his preparations from day one and had even purchased his nomination papers. This was only natural, given his reputation as a close associate of Amit Shah; during every visit to Bhopal, Shah would invariably have lunch or dinner at Mishra’s residence.

After being denied the ticket, Narottam Mishra revealed that the incumbent candidate was not responsible for the decision—that individual lacked the stature or influence to bring about such an outcome. He claimed that the person responsible for blocking his ticket was someone beyond his reach. Throughout the campaign, he continued to canvass for votes while simultaneously issuing threats to BJP leaders. At a public rally, he challenged the leadership, declaring that no one dared to lay a finger on his supporters. Speculation suggests that Chief Minister Mohan Yadav was already grappling with the influence of Kailash Vijayvargiya and Prahlad Patel; had Narottam won and secured a cabinet berth, he would inevitably have emerged as yet another power center. Consequently, the Chief Minister ensured his ticket was denied.

Internal discord within the BJP has surfaced immediately following the election results. A 45-minute meeting between former Chief Minister and Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and the Prime Minister grabbed headlines. According to sources, Chouhan raised four grievances regarding the Chief Minister during the meeting. First, he complained that his constituency, Budhni, was being neglected and that development work had stalled. Second, he pointed out that while procuring *moong* (green gram) from farmers was the state's responsibility, the government had targeted him and allowed protesters to march right up to his residence. Third, he noted that whenever his ministry convened a meeting, state officials—despite repeated notifications—would neither attend in person nor join virtually. Fourthly, he is being sidelined to such an extent that when the state's Agriculture Department organises an event, he is not invited—even though he is present in the state.

The following day, while the cabinet was reviewing the defeat, Kailash Vijayvargiya left the meeting, travelled to Delhi, and met Amit Shah for an hour. The next day, the Chief Minister also visited Delhi and met the BJP National President. Subsequently, Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia met the Prime Minister. Everyone is offering their own explanations, but this turmoil makes it clear that all is not well within the BJP. The defeat in Datia has brought internal infighting to the surface.