BHOPAL, October 31 (Aalimi Nation) – Union Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Hardeep Singh Puri on Saturday filed his nomination for the Rajya Sabha by-election from Madhya Pradesh, as the Congress questioned the BJP's decision to field him.
Mr Puri, 74, filed his papers at the Assembly building in Bhopal. Chief Minister Mohan Yadav and BJP state president Hemant Khandelwal were present. Before filing, he prayed at a gurudwara and then visited the Karuna Dham Ashram, where he sought the blessings of Gurudev Sudesh Shandilya Maharaj.
Why the seat is vacant
The BJP's Central Election Committee named Mr Puri as its candidate on October 28. The seat fell vacant after L Murugan resigned from the Rajya Sabha on October 13. Mr Murugan, who had also quit the Union Council of Ministers, said at the time he wanted to strengthen his party in Tamil Nadu and prepare the ground for the 2029 general election. His term was due to run until April 2030.
Mr Puri has been a Rajya Sabha member from Uttar Pradesh since January 2018, and that term ends on November 25. He was not among the eight names the BJP announced for the Uttar Pradesh Rajya Sabha elections earlier this month. Because he is not a member of the Lok Sabha, he needs a seat in one of the Houses to continue as a minister.
The last date for filing nominations is November 2, with scrutiny on November 3 and the last date for withdrawal on November 5. If a contest is needed, voting will take place on November 12 from 9 am to 4 pm, and counting will begin at 5 pm the same day.
The BJP has a decisive majority in the 230-member Madhya Pradesh Assembly, and Rajya Sabha members are elected by MLAs. Published reports therefore describe Mr Puri's election as a formality, and some expect him to be elected unopposed. That remains an expectation, not a result. The Congress had not announced a candidate at the time of writing and was expected to state its approach on Saturday.
Congress leaders in Madhya Pradesh criticised the choice. Umang Singhar, the Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly, asked why the party had not found a Dalit, tribal or OBC candidate from the state, and said, "We will not allow Madhya Pradesh to become a laboratory for the BJP." He and other party leaders also asked the BJP to explain Mr Puri's name appearing in documents connected to the late financier Jeffrey Epstein that were released in the United States.
State Congress president Jitu Patwari said the BJP owed the country answers on the matter. The party has demanded Mr Puri's resignation.
Mr Puri has rejected the charge. He has said his communications with Mr Epstein were limited and unconnected to any criminal activity. In February, the BJP quoted him as saying the references to the Epstein files "were misinterpreted and had been used for political theatre." The party has said all meetings and emails were public and that the references have been twisted for political ends.
Scrutiny of papers on November 3 will confirm whether all nominations are valid. If no other candidate remains after the withdrawal deadline on November 5, the returning officer can declare Mr Puri elected without a vote.
