A major political flashpoint has emerged in Madhya Pradesh's Datia ahead of the 30 July Assembly by-election, with protests breaking out after the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) replaced former Home Minister Dr. Narottam Mishra with Ashutosh Tiwari as its candidate.

The agitation, which began on Friday evening, escalated into violence in the early hours of Saturday, leading to a 15–20 kilometre traffic blockade on the Gwalior–Jhansi National Highway. Police resorted to firing tear gas shells after clashes with protesters, while several vehicles were damaged during stone-pelting.

Eight Police Personnel Injured

According to district officials, eight police personnel, including the Superintendent of Police (SP) and the SDOP of Bhander, sustained injuries during the violence. Some supporters of Dr. Narottam Mishra were also reportedly injured.

Officials said protesters overturned police vehicles, damaged several trucks, smashed the windshield of the SDOP's vehicle, and allegedly attempted to set a police vehicle on fire.

Hundreds of BJP Workers Join Protest

More than 500 BJP workers, including a large number of women, participated in demonstrations against the party's decision. Protesters staged road blockades at multiple locations, including Haripur Tiraha in Dabra, while slogans were raised against BJP candidate Ashutosh Tiwari.

Supporters from neighbouring districts also reached Datia to participate in the protest, further intensifying the situation.

Leaders Submit Resignations

The political fallout extended beyond street protests. BJP Datia district president Raghuveer Saran and several party office-bearers resigned from their posts in protest against the denial of a ticket to Narottam Mishra.

According to supporters, the BJP's city minister, party treasurer, and several municipal councillors have also tendered their resignations.

Narottam Had Already Begun Campaign

Dr. Narottam Mishra had already launched his election campaign after the bypoll was announced. He had purchased nomination papers, addressed public meetings, and sought public support before the party announced Ashutosh Tiwari as its official candidate.

The BJP declared Tiwari's candidature after legal developments relating to the by-election.

Administration Tightens Security

As the situation deteriorated, authorities deployed additional police personnel across the district and sought reinforcement from the Police Headquarters (PHQ). Security was intensified around the BJP office, where nearly 250 party workers were prevented from leaving as a precautionary measure.

Traffic on the Gwalior–Jhansi route was diverted, while police from Datia and Gwalior jointly managed the movement of vehicles.

District Collector Swapnil Wankhede said the administration had exercised restraint despite the violence but warned that strict action would be taken if law and order was disturbed again.

Markets Shut, Political Activity Intensifies

Several markets in Datia remained closed on Saturday morning as trader associations extended support to the protest. Meanwhile, Azad Samaj Party (Kanshi Ram) chief and Nagina MP Chandrashekhar Azad is scheduled to address a public meeting in support of the party's candidate later in the day.

With campaigning intensifying and political tensions rising, the Datia Assembly by-election has quickly become one of the most closely watched electoral contests in Madhya Pradesh.

A 10-member delegation met poll officials in Delhi, which assured a decision within two hours. In Bhopal, Congress workers hung an RSS uniform at the CEO office gate.

The Congress party on Wednesday knocked on the doors of the Election Commission of India (ECI), challenging the rejection of its Rajya Sabha candidate Meenakshi Natarajan’s nomination papers in Madhya Pradesh. The move came less than 24 hours after Returning Officer (RO) Arpit Sharma invalidated her candidature, triggering sharp political reactions and street protests across the state.

Delhi Meeting, EC Assurance

A Congress delegation, including senior leaders K.C. Venugopal, Jairam Ramesh, Bhupesh Baghel, and Sachin Pilot, met with poll officials in the capital. Party MP Abhishek Manu Singhvi, a senior advocate, argued that the RO’s decision had no legal basis.

“The grounds on which the nomination was rejected do not exist in the law. There was no criminal case that required disclosure,” Singhvi told reporters after the meeting. He clarified that Natarajan had only received a court notice, not a formal charge. “A notice asking if proceedings should begin is not a pending criminal case.”

According to Leader of Opposition in the MP Assembly Umang Singhar, the Commission assured the delegation of a decision within two hours.

Bhopal Protest Turns Symbolic

In the state capital, the protest took an unusual turn. Congress workers gathered outside the office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) but found the gates shut. In response, they hung a uniform of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) on the main gate before leaving the spot.

The action was a direct rejoinder to the BJP’s repeated claims linking Congress to a specific ideological posture. Meanwhile, a separate collective fast was underway at Roshanpura Square in Bhopal, where former Chief Minister Digvijaya Singh and several other leaders sat on a day-long hunger strike.

The Legal Dispute

The controversy revolves around a private complaint filed against Natarajan in a Hyderabad court. The RO had cited the non-disclosure of this case, arguing that a summons issued on September 17, 2025, made it a “pending” matter.

Singhvi, however, rejected this interpretation. “Under election law, a candidate only needs to disclose cases where the court has taken cognizance and framed charges for an offence carrying two years or more in jail. Here, the magistrate hasn’t even taken cognizance yet,” he explained. He termed the RO’s decision “legally malicious.”

A Contrast in Jharkhand

Adding to Congress’s argument of a double standard, party workers pointed to a simultaneous election process in Jharkhand. There, the RO has declared the nomination of NDA-backed independent candidate Parimal Nathwani as valid, despite objections from Congress over discrepancies in his name on affidavits.

A Congress functionary noted that while the Jharkhand RO gave time until the next day to respond to objections, the MP RO rejected Natarajan’s form within hours of raising a query. “Two states, two rules in one election,” said state women’s Congress chief Reena Borasi.

Political Fallout

The ruling BJP dismissed the protests as a face-saving tactic. State minister Vishwas Sarang alleged the Congress deliberately filed a defective nomination, fearing cross-voting by its own MLAs. “They knew at least 25 of their legislators would vote for our candidate. To save their own shame, they got the form cancelled,” Sarang claimed.

Congress legislators, however, remained defiant. Some lawmakers in Bhopal raised the pitch, with MLA Dinesh Gurjar making sharp remarks about being the “first to throw a stone” at the chief minister’s residence if a protest was called. Other leaders, like Vikrant Bhuria, labelled the poll panel a "commission of brokers."

With the last date for withdrawal of nominations still open, the Congress has indicated it may approach the Supreme Court if the EC does not rule in its favour.

Party leaders submit application against cancellation of Meenakshi Natarajan's Rajya Sabha bid, vow to move Supreme Court

In a dramatic late-night protest, senior Congress leaders led by former Chhattisgarh chief minister Bhupesh Baghel sat on a dharna outside the Election Commission office in Delhi on Tuesday, protesting the rejection of party candidate Meenakshi Natarajan's nomination for the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections from Madhya Pradesh.

The protest, which stretched past midnight, saw the presence of prominent faces including Sachin Pilot, K C Venugopal, and Jairam Ramesh.

Late-Night Protest Outside EC

Baghel and other leaders arrived at the commission's office around evening hours, only to find the premises closed. Unwilling to wait until morning, they chose to stage a sit-in demonstration.

"Returning officer in Madhya Pradesh had given a hearing time of 5:30 PM. At that very time, the office shut down. Where do we submit our application against the decision to reject Meenakshi Natarajan's nomination?" Baghel said from the protest site.

He added that an office clerk eventually accepted their application after they sat on dharna. "Only after we submit our formal application will the path open to approach the court," the Congress leader explained.

What Sparked the Row

The Madhya Pradesh returning officer Arvind Sharma on Tuesday rejected Natarajan's nomination papers following objections raised by the BJP. According to political observers, with this rejection, all three Rajya Sabha seats from the state now have BJP candidates heading for unopposed election.

The BJP had alleged that Natarajan suppressed information about a pending case in a Hyderabad court while filing her nomination papers. The returning officer issued a show-cause notice, seeking a response by 5:30 PM Tuesday. Not satisfied with the Congress candidate's reply, the officer proceeded to cancel the nomination.

 Congress Alleges Conspiracy

Party leaders have accused the Election Commission of functioning under pressure from the ruling BJP. "The nomination cancellation is wrong and amounts to a political conspiracy," Baghel asserted.

Congress sources indicated that the party is preparing to challenge the decision in the Supreme Court. Their argument rests on the nature of the pending matter – party leaders claim it is not even a criminal case where the court has taken cognizance.

Three BJP Candidates Now in Fray

The election for three Rajya Sabha seats from Madhya Pradesh is scheduled for June 18. Initially, four candidates were in the running – three from the BJP and Natarajan from Congress. With her nomination struck down, only three candidates remain in the contest, all belonging to the BJP.

Ahead of the polls, the Congress had already shifted nearly 48 of its party MLAs to Bengaluru in an apparent bid to prevent poaching attempts.

Party leaders say they will continue pressing the Election Commission and are exploring all legal options available. The coming days will determine whether the matter reaches the Supreme Court and if the Congress nominee can secure any relief before the June 18 polling date.

A protest by Congress workers and farmers turned volatile on Monday morning after police resorted to a lathi charge to stop a march toward the collector’s office. The demonstration was called against the recent externment of Kisan Congress district president Ashok Jat from Ujjain district.

The confrontation escalated around 11 am when protesters, led by local Congress MLA Mahesh Parmar, attempted to break through barricades on the Badnagar Road. Officials confirmed that at least three people were taken into preventive custody following nearly an hour of pushing and shouting between the two sides. A farmer, identified as Jayram Jat, suffered an injury below his eye during the baton charge and was later moved to a hospital.

Blocked March to Collectorate

Police had sealed off all main routes leading to the collector’s campus from early morning, anticipating the protest. Despite this, a large group of Congress workers and supporters from at least ten villages gathered near the Tarantal area, planning to walk toward the government offices.

It was near a bridge on Badnagar Road that the first major face-off occurred. According to local authorities, the group was stopped because they had not secured permission for the march. “The protesters were asked to disperse peacefully, but they refused and tried to push past the barricades,” a police officer present at the spot said, requesting anonymity. Tensions spiked when some activists climbed onto the barricades, leading to the order for a lathi charge.

MLA-Policemen Face-off

The situation turned politically charged when local MLA Mahesh Parmar was seen arguing with police officials at the site. Sources familiar with the matter said Parmar questioned the administration’s decision to extern a farmer leader while allegedly ignoring other law and order issues in the city.

“Ashok Jat would reach farmers on a single call. Such a leader has been exiled. Meanwhile, those with criminal records move openly in Ujjain,” Parmar was heard telling officers at the scene. His remarks drew sharp reactions from the police, who asked him to remain within legal limits. The debate between the lawmaker and the police line officials continued for several minutes before the MLA was escorted away from the immediate cordon.

Why the Externment Order?

The protest stems from a recent externment order issued against Ashok Jat, the local Kisan Congress chief. State-level party leaders claimed the action was retaliatory. Dharmendra Singh Chauhan, state president of the Kisan Congress, alleged that Jat had been booked under flimsy charges of obstructing government work after he raised a complaint against certain traders.

“Traders were taking 8-10 kg extra per quintal of produce. We demanded an FIR against them, but instead, our leader was externed,” Chauhan said. Officials, however, have maintained that the externment was a routine administrative measure aimed at preventing a breach of peace, though they have not shared specific case details.

Ground Reality and Next Moves

For nearly an hour before the lathi charge, the atmosphere on Badnagar Road remained chaotic. Reporters at the scene noted that protesters used tractors to block a section of the road, causing a brief traffic snarl on the busy stretch. Slogans against the local administration were raised repeatedly as some workers tried to push through the police cordon.

Local Congress leaders have now warned of a larger protest in Bhopal if their demand for revoking Jat’s externment is not met. “The next demonstration will be in the state capital,” a party functionary said late Monday afternoon. Meanwhile, police pickets have been strengthened near key government buildings in Ujjain as a precautionary measure. The three detained individuals are expected to be produced before a local magistrate later this evening.