Jharkhand Congress Demands Cancellation of BJP-Backed Nathwani’s RS Nomination

Ranchi: The Congress on Wednesday staged a protest here, demanding cancellation of the nomination of Parimal Nathwani, a BJP-backed Independent nominee for the Rajya Sabha polls in Jharkhand.Party leaders held the protest on the Jharkhand Assembly premises over alleged discrepancies in Nathwani's nomination papers and later staged a sit-in.

They accused Nathwani of providing false and incomplete information in his nomination papers.

"We demand an impartial investigation and necessary action over the alleged discrepancies and incomplete information in the nomination papers of the BJP-backed Independent candidate Parimal Nathwani," said Keshav Mahto Kamlesh, the Jharkhand unit chief of the Congress.

"We have flagged multiple discrepancies in his nomination papers. Despite this, the Election Commission is giving him extra time to furnish clarifications," he said.

Kamlesh further said that the proposer of the Congress candidate, Pranav Jha has highlighted several discrepancies in Nathwani's nomination papers and presented them before the returning officer for the cancellation of his nomination.

However, no decision has been taken on this yet, he said.

"In Madhya Pradesh, the nomination of one of our leaders was cancelled within 15 minutes without any clarification. But here, despite highlighting four discrepancies in Nathwani's nomination papers, the poll panel's officials have put it only on hold," said Rajesh Thakur, a former state Congress president.

"This clearly shows the Election Commission's intention, and it seems that the poll panel is functioning as a subordinate unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party," he alleged.

State Minister Dipika Pandey Singh of the Congress said, "For the BJP, democracy is not people's trust, but of the game of power. During the Rajya Sabha elections in Madhya Pradesh, nominations were hastily cancelled in a panic, tarnishing the democratic process.

"In Jharkhand, every possible manipulation is being resorted to in order to send a wealthy person and a close aide of Prime Minister Modi to the Rajya Sabha through the back door."

Taking a jibe at the BJP in an X post, she said, "When the mandate does not stand by you, change the rules; when the people do not trust, put pressure on institutions -- this has become the BJP's democratic model."

"Today, a strong protest was registered outside the Jharkhand Legislative Assembly against this planned assault on democracy, the Constitution, and political decorum. This fight to protect the rights of the people and the dignity of democracy will continue."

Hitting back at the Congress over its protest, Jharkhand BJP chief Aditya Sahu said, "It shows they have lost faith in the democratic process and the Constitution of India.

"They are creating hindrances in the functioning of the Election Commission officials who are looking into the matter. The Speaker of the Jharkhand Assembly should immediately order the registration of an FIR against the leaders and workers of the Congress party.

"The Congress protest is neither acceptable nor justifiable in any way. This shows that they have accepted moral defeat in the Rajya Sabha poll," Sahu said.

Nathwani, an MP of the Upper House in Parliament from Andhra Pradesh, filed his nomination papers for one of the two Rajya Sabha seats in Jharkhand on Monday, along with the JMM candidate Baidyanath Ram and Congress nominee Pranav Jha.

The returning officer put his nomination on hold and gave him a deadline of 11 am on Wednesday to resolve the objections, a BJP office-bearer said.

A close aide of Nathwani, however, claimed the objections that had been raised were resolved.

The last date for withdrawal of nomination is June 11, while the polling will be held on June 18.

To ensure victory, a candidate is required to secure a minimum of 28 first-preference votes.

In the Jharkhand Assembly, the INDIA bloc has 56 members, comprising 34 from the JMM, 16 from the Congress, four from the RJD and two from CPI (ML) Liberation.

The NDA has 24 MLAs -- 21 from the BJP and one each from the LJP (Ram Vilas), AJSU Party and the JD(U). Jharkhand Loktantrik Krantikari Morcha has one MLA.