Union Minister and Bharatiya Janata Party candidate Hardeep Singh Puri has been elected unopposed to the Rajya Sabha in the by-election from Madhya Pradesh. His election became certain after the nomination papers of two other contenders were rejected on Tuesday, leaving him as the sole candidate in the fray. Thursday, November 05, marked the final deadline for the withdrawal of candidatures, following which the returning officer officially declared him elected without opposition. BJP state president Hemant Khandelwal and several party leaders arrived at the Madhya Pradesh Legislative Assembly, where Khandelwal collected the official election certificate following the announcement.
Objections Over Nomination Papers and Returning Officer Ruling
Hardeep Singh Puri had filed his nomination papers on Saturday, October 31, accompanied by Chief Minister Mohan Yadav, state president Hemant Khandelwal, and other senior leaders. During the scrutiny process, two independent aspirants along with Congress leader Hemant Katare raised objections against Puri's candidature, claiming that the affidavit provided in Form 26 was invalid and incomplete. However, returning officer Umesh Sharma examined the objections and ruled that Puri had not violated any provisions of the Representation of the People Act. Sharma stated in his official order that no flaws were discovered in the nomination documents submitted by the candidate.
Congress Criticism and Legal Challenge Plans
The decision drew sharp criticism from the opposition, with Katare and Congress MLA Atif Akeil declaring that they would approach the court against the ruling. In a joint statement, they alleged that despite significant shortcomings, the nomination papers were not rejected, calling the development an assault on Indian democracy. The opposition leaders maintained that rules were disregarded during the vetting process.
Background of the Vacancy and Career Journey
The Rajya Sabha vacancy arose following the resignation of Union Minister L. Murugan. Currently, Hardeep Singh Puri represents Uttar Pradesh in the upper house, with his existing tenure scheduled to conclude on November 25. Given the absolute majority of the BJP in Madhya Pradesh, the victory of the party nominee was widely anticipated. Before entering active politics, Puri served a distinguished 39-year career in the Indian Foreign Service as a 1974-batch diplomat, which included a tenure as India's Permanent Representative to the United Nations. He retired from diplomatic service in February 2013 after nearly four decades and formally joined the Bharatiya Janata Party on January 2, 2014, subsequently joining the Union Cabinet.
