Mishra Was in Bhopal During the Meeting

Senior Madhya Pradesh BJP leader Narottam Mishra skipped a party review meeting on Tuesday convened to analyze the BJP's defeat in the Datia assembly bypoll, fueling speculation about his role in the setback. The meeting, held at Chief Minister Mohan Yadav's residence in Bhopal, came a day after Congress candidate Ghanshyam Singh defeated BJP's Ashutosh Tiwari by 6,016 votes. Mishra was in Bhopal during the meeting.

The BJP had treated the contest as a prestige battle, deploying at least 12 ministers, a deputy CM, six MPs, and several senior leaders. A senior party leader, requesting anonymity, said the decision not to call Mishra, once considered the BJP's strongman in Datia, suggests his role is under question, especially given his supporters' reactions when he was denied a ticket. Mishra declined to comment. Party leader Khandelwal avoided addressing Mishra's absence but announced a two-member committee to examine the defeat's reasons.