Vijay Pratap Singh Rathore. Datia14 minutes ago
The BJP lost the Datia Assembly by-election by 6,016 votes, with Congress candidate Ghanshyam Singh defeating BJP’s Ashutosh Tiwari.
After the defeat, Dainik Bhaskar asked Tiwari who had failed to behave like a “good son” towards the BJP, which he described as the party’s “mother”. Tiwari suggested that some party workers had fallen victim to what he called a “Congress conspiracy”.
Ghanshyam Singh, meanwhile, claimed that the Congress won despite internal sabotage and alleged attempts to influence voters through inducements, pressure and intimidation.
Ashutosh Tiwari: ‘Some of our own fell victim to Congress conspiracy’
Q: You received public support. Where do you think the BJP fell short?
Ashutosh Tiwari: I have accepted the people’s mandate with humility. I reminded my well-wishers, workers and voters of what I had told them. I said that the BJP is like our mother, so we must always ask ourselves how we should behave towards our mother. A mother is a mother, and if we do not behave like a good son, then that is not right.
Q: Who, according to you, failed to behave like a ‘good son’?
Ashutosh Tiwari: Some of our people, knowingly or unknowingly, fell victim to a conspiracy by the Congress. Those who fell victim to that conspiracy are our own people. Our basic principle is that we belong to everyone and everyone belongs to us.
Those who may have gone astray will understand by evening that the party is like a mother. One must always maintain a distinction between personal conduct and the character of the organisation.
Q: What is your strategy going forward?
Ashutosh Tiwari: There is no strategy. I am an ordinary party worker and will remain among the workers. I will continue to stand with them in their happiness and sorrow and will always remain available to them.
On the last day of nomination, Narottam had promised to make Ashutosh win in a meeting. He had also talked about bowing his head at every door.
Ashutosh Tiwari returning from the counting center on Monday after losing the by-election.
Ghanshyam Singh: ‘I won despite internal sabotage’
Q: How do you feel after winning the election?
Ghanshyam Singh: I feel good, but I am also worried. The people have placed their trust in me. This was a by-election, and generally, the ruling party is considered to have an advantage in such elections.
The entire Cabinet, the Chief Minister, both Deputy Chief Ministers and several ministers remained stationed here. There were also attempts to influence people through inducements, pressure and intimidation. Despite all this, the people elected me.
Now, people’s expectations from me have increased considerably. My concern is how I will live up to those expectations and how much hard work it will require.
Q: Do you think internal sabotage affected the election?
Ghanshyam Singh: Yes, internal sabotage had an impact. I believe it affected around 2,000 to 5,000 votes.
Q: You had a significant lead in the initial rounds, but the margin narrowed towards the end. What was the reason?
Ghanshyam Singh: The major change in the final two rounds came from the Basai area. It is quite far from Datia and is surrounded by Uttar Pradesh and Shivpuri district.
Large-scale distribution of money and liquor took place there. Some BJP leaders from Uttar Pradesh also played a role. There were shortcomings on our side as well, as we could not completely stop their election management.
Awadhesh Nayak was upset after not getting a ticket from Congress, then BJP candidate Ashutosh went to meet him. However, Nayak campaigned for Congress.
After winning the by-election, Congress’s Ghanshyam Singh spoke to the media.
‘Maintaining peace and social harmony will be my priority’
Q: What will be your first priority as an MLA?
Ghanshyam Singh: My first priority will be to maintain peace and social harmony in Datia.
It is necessary to stop the trade in gambling, betting and intoxicants, as these activities are taking young people in the wrong direction. It will be our responsibility to guide the youth towards constructive activities.
Today, politics is increasingly being used to spread division in society in the name of caste and religion. The BJP, BSP and ASP (Bhim Army) are all dividing society for their respective political interests. The language used by political leaders is also increasingly crossing the limits of decency.
This was not the tradition earlier. We need to strengthen a culture of mutual brotherhood and respect once again.
Q: What will be your first campaign after becoming an MLA?
Ghanshyam Singh: My first campaign will be against gambling and betting. Strict action will be taken against these activities.
Find out who came out on top in which round…
