Hardeep Singh Puri set to win Madhya Pradesh Rajya Sabha bypoll unopposed

Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri is set to be elected unopposed to the Rajya Sabha from Madhya Pradesh after returning officer Umesh Kumar Sharma accepted his nomination papers and rejected those of two rival candidates during scrutiny on Tuesday.

Puri submitted three sets of nomination papers on 31 October for the by-election. Objections against his nomination were submitted by independent candidates Kante Sayanna and Rajkumar Lohani, alongside the deputy leader of the opposition in the state assembly, Hemant Katare. They contended that Puri's Form 26 affidavit was incomplete and invalid.

Following a detailed examination, returning officer Sharma overruled the objections and declared Puri's papers fully valid under Section 36 of the Representation of the People Act, 1951. In his written order, Sharma stated that Puri’s affidavit and electoral particulars were complete, and no violation of mandatory requirements under Sections 33 and 34 had been established.

Why rival nominations were rejected

The returning officer rejected the nomination papers of the remaining two candidates due to clear statutory non-compliance. Independent candidate Rajkumar Lohani failed to submit the mandatory Form 26 affidavit, while Kante Sayanna's papers were rejected due to incomplete information.

Background to the by-election

The by-election for the Madhya Pradesh seat in the upper house of Parliament was necessitated after former Union Minister L Murugan resigned from the position on 14 October. The seat's original term runs through to 2 April 2030.

Following the Election Commission's announcement on 22 October, official notification for the poll was issued on 26 October. Scrutiny took place on 3 November, with 5 November set as the deadline for candidate withdrawals.

Opposition members expressed disagreement with the outcome and stated an intention to seek judicial review. However, the returning officer confirmed that the scrutiny process adhered strictly to statutory provisions, clearing the way for Puri to strengthen the ruling party's legislative momentum and parliamentary stability.