Archive · 3 Aug 2026
BJP Loses Datia Bypoll Despite New Candidate
In June 2026, people in Datia voted in a special election to choose a new member of parliament.
The BJP tried to win by picking a new candidate, Ashutosh Tiwari, instead of the popular former home minister Narottam Mishra.
Many voters still supported Mishra’s old group, so they didn’t turn out for Tiwari.
Congress’s candidate, Ghanshyam Singh, had a strong local reputation and many voters trusted him.
Because of this, Singh won the election.
The result shows that changing a candidate alone isn’t enough if the old leader’s supporters stay loyal.
It also shows that local connections can be very powerful in elections.
Congress candidate Ghanshyam Singh won the Datia by-election, defeating BJP's Ashutosh Tiwari.
BJP replaced former home minister Narottam Mishra with Ashutosh Tiwari, but Mishra’s influence remained strong.
Voter turnout was 71.44%, lower than the 2023 assembly election, with a noticeable gender gap.
The BJP’s internal conflict over Mishra’s ticket caused discontent among supporters.
Congress’s local network and factionalism helped secure victory despite internal disputes.
- Who
- Congress candidate Ghanshyam Singh and BJP candidate Ashutosh Tiwari
- What
- Datia parliamentary by-election
- When
- June 2026
- Where
- Datia district, Madhya Pradesh, India
- Why
- BJP's internal conflict over replacing former home minister Narottam Mishra and Congress's local network advantage
- Election Type
- By-election
- Winner
- Ghanshyam Singh (Congress)
- Runner-up
- Ashutosh Tiwari (BJP)
- Turnout
- 71.44%
- Vote Margin
- 6,016 votes