Bhopal, Nov 3 (IANS) Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri’s nomination for the Rajya Sabha by-election from Madhya Pradesh was accepted on Tuesday after the Returning Officer rejected all objections raised against his candidature.
The decision came after hearing objections raised by Congress leader Hemant Katare, who had questioned the validity and completeness of Puri’s mandatory Form 26 affidavit.
According to the order issued by Returning Officer Umesh Sharma, Puri had filed three nomination papers on October 31. The objectors were heard during scrutiny on Tuesday, and Puri was given an opportunity to respond.
After examining the objections and relevant documents, the Returning Officer said the allegations were not substantiated, and the affidavit complied with the legal requirements.
“The affidavit in Form 26 is found to be complete,” the order, accessed by IANS, stated. It further said no violation of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, or any substantial defect warranting rejection of the nomination had been established.
“The objections raised against the nomination paper are hereby overruled,” the order said, accepting Puri’s nomination as valid.
Reacting to the decision, Congress MLAs Hemant Katare and Atif Aqeel said they would approach the court on Wednesday, alleging that the scrutiny process was biased.
Congress leaders claimed that they had submitted evidence of serious discrepancies in the nomination papers, but their objections were rejected.
Calling the decision an attack on democracy, they said they would challenge the order. The by-election is being held to fill the Rajya Sabha seat vacated by Union Minister of State L. Murugan.
The BJP fielded Puri as its candidate, while the Congress backed Bhopal-based social activist Rajkumar Lohani as an Independent candidate; however, his nomination was cancelled on Tuesday. Polling is scheduled for November 12, and November 5 is the last date for withdrawal of nominations.
–IANS
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