Bhopal: Senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and former Madhya Pradesh Home Minister Narottam Mishra remained absent from a crucial party meeting held on Tuesday to review the BJP's defeat in the Datia Assembly by-election, sparking fresh political speculation over his role in the electoral setback and his future position within the party.

The review meeting was held at the residence of Chief Minister Dr. Mohan Yadav in Bhopal, a day after the BJP lost the Datia Assembly seat to the Congress. In the bypoll, Congress candidate Ghanshyam Singh defeated BJP nominee Ashutosh Tiwari by a margin of 6,016 votes, handing the ruling party an unexpected setback in one of its high-profile electoral contests.

The Datia by-election had become a prestige battle for the BJP, with the party deploying several senior leaders during the campaign. More than a dozen ministers, including a Deputy Chief Minister, six Members of Parliament and several senior organisational leaders, campaigned extensively in an effort to retain the constituency.

Narottam Mishra's absence from the meeting drew considerable attention, particularly because he was reportedly present in Bhopal when the review was held. Mishra, who had represented Datia multiple times and was once considered the BJP's strongest face in the constituency, was denied the party ticket for the by-election. The decision had triggered disappointment among many of his supporters during the candidate selection process.

According to party sources, Mishra was not invited to the review meeting, a development that has fuelled speculation within political circles. Some BJP leaders believe the leadership is also evaluating whether dissatisfaction among Mishra's supporters after the denial of his ticket may have influenced the election outcome.

A senior BJP leader, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said the absence of Narottam Mishra from the review meeting has naturally raised questions because of his long association with Datia politics. According to the leader, the reactions of his supporters following the party's ticket distribution are also expected to be examined during the internal review.

When contacted regarding his absence, Narottam Mishra declined to comment on the matter.

Following the meeting, senior BJP leader VD Sharma and State BJP President Hemant Khandelwal addressed the media. While Khandelwal did not directly respond to questions regarding Mishra's absence, he announced that the party would constitute a two-member committee to conduct a detailed assessment of the reasons behind the bypoll defeat.

The committee is expected to interact with local party workers, district leaders and election management teams before submitting its findings to the state leadership. The review is likely to examine multiple aspects of the campaign, including candidate selection, booth-level management, voter turnout and organisational coordination.

Political observers believe the Datia result carries significance because the BJP had invested considerable organisational and political resources into the constituency. Despite an intensive campaign involving senior ministers and top leaders, the party failed to retain the seat, prompting the leadership to initiate a comprehensive review.

The Congress, meanwhile, described the bypoll victory as a reflection of public support for its campaign and local leadership. The result has added a new dimension to the political landscape in Madhya Pradesh, where both the BJP and the Congress are expected to closely analyse the verdict ahead of future electoral contests.

The BJP leadership is expected to review the findings of the proposed committee before deciding on any organisational or political measures related to the Datia by-election.