Union Petroleum Minister Hardeep Singh Puri is set to win the Madhya Pradesh Rajya Sabha by-election unopposed after the nomination papers of two independent candidates were rejected during scrutiny on Tuesday.
The rejected candidates were Kante Sayanna and Rajkumar Lohani, who was backed by the Congress. The seat fell vacant following the resignation of Union Minister L Murugan.
The Returning Officer, Umesh Sharma, rejected the two nominations after examining the papers. He also dismissed objections raised by the candidates and Congress leader Hemant Katare against Puri’s nomination.
The objectors had claimed that Puri’s affidavit, submitted in Form 26, was incomplete and invalid. However, Sharma ruled that Puri had not violated any provision of the Representation of the People Act and found no defect in his nomination papers.
Katare and Congress MLA Atif Aqeel said they would challenge the Returning Officer’s decision in court. They alleged that serious errors in Puri’s nomination papers had been overlooked.
With the two rival nominations rejected, Puri is the only candidate remaining in the contest and is expected to be elected unopposed.
The result is scheduled to be declared on November 5, the final date for withdrawal of nominations.
