Hardeep Puri Set to Be Elected Unopposed to Rajya Sabha from Madhya Pradesh
Union minister Hardeep Singh Puri is set to be declared elected unopposed to the Rajya Sabha from Madhya Pradesh, after the returning officer rejected the nomination papers of two other candidates and dismissed objections filed against Puri's own nomination.
The nominations of Rajkumar Lohani and Kante Sayanna, both backed by the Congress, were rejected during scrutiny, news agency PTI reported. With their papers held invalid, Puri is the only candidate left in the fray for the bypoll.
Two independent candidates, along with Congress leader Hemant Katare, had objected to Puri's nomination, contending that his affidavit in Form 26 — the declaration of assets, liabilities and pending criminal cases that every candidate must file — was invalid and incomplete.
Returning officer Umesh Sharma examined the objections and held that Puri had not violated any requirement of the Representation of the People Act, the law that governs the conduct of elections in India. "No defect was found in Puri's papers," he said in his order.
The Congress disputed the ruling. In a statement, Katare and Congress MLA Atif Aqeel called the order "an attack on Indian democracy" and said the party would move court. "Despite such significant errors, the nomination was not rejected," they said.
The bypoll was necessitated by the resignation of former Union minister L Murugan, who vacated the seat on October 14. His term in the Rajya Sabha was originally scheduled to end on April 2, 2030, so the winner will serve the remainder of that period.
The Election Commission announced the schedule on October 22. The notification for the election was issued on October 26, the last date for filing nominations was November 2, and scrutiny of papers was taken up on November 3. Candidates may withdraw their nominations until November 5.
Under the election rules, if only one validly nominated candidate remains after the withdrawal deadline, that candidate is declared elected unopposed. A formal declaration in Puri's case is therefore expected after November 5, unless the matter is taken to court in the meantime.
Rajya Sabha members are not elected directly by voters. They are chosen by the elected members of the state legislative assembly through a system of proportional representation using a single transferable vote. Bypolls to the House are held when a seat falls vacant mid-term because of a resignation, death or disqualification.
Scrutiny of nomination papers is a routine but significant stage of the process, and returning officers are empowered to reject papers that do not meet the requirements of the law. Any dispute over the validity of an election can be raised through an election petition before the High Court after the result is declared.
Puri, a former diplomat who joined the Union Council of Ministers in 2017, has been a member of the Rajya Sabha since 2018. If formally declared elected, he will continue as a member of the House from Madhya Pradesh.
