Bhopal Bureau
Summary: Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas Hardeep Singh Puri is filing his nomination from Madhya Pradesh for the Rajya Sabha by-election in Bhopal on Saturday. Chief Minister Dr. Mohan Yadav, state BJP president Hemant Khandelwal and organisational general secretary Chandrashekhar are present with other senior party leaders during the nomination. The seat fell vacant after the resignation of former Union Minister L. Murugan, and voting for the by-election will be held on November 12.
Today’s nomination programme
Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri arrived in Bhopal late on Friday evening, where party workers and leaders gave him a warm welcome at the Raja Bhoj airport. On Saturday morning he visited the state BJP office, where a programme was scheduled to offer floral tributes at the statues of Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya and Dr. Syama Prasad Mookerjee. He then proceeded to the Madhya Pradesh Legislative Assembly with Chief Minister Dr. Mohan Yadav, state president Hemant Khandelwal and organisational general secretary Chandrashekhar, where his nomination papers are to be submitted before the returning officer. The nomination papers are being filed in sets of three, with BJP legislators signing as proposers. After the nomination process, the Union Minister is scheduled to return to Delhi later in the afternoon. Security and other arrangements have been put in place in and around the Assembly complex for the programme.
Why the seat fell vacant
The Rajya Sabha seat from Madhya Pradesh fell vacant in October. Former Union Minister L. Murugan resigned from the Rajya Sabha and the Union Council of Ministers so that he could focus on organisational work for the party in Tamil Nadu. His term was to continue until April 2030, but his resignation left the seat vacant. The by-election process then began and the Election Commission announced the schedule. The BJP’s central election committee announced Hardeep Singh Puri as its candidate from Madhya Pradesh on October 28. Since then, preparations for the nomination in Bhopal gathered pace, and party office-bearers completed formalities including the purchase of nomination papers.
Who is Hardeep Singh Puri
Hardeep Singh Puri is the Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas. He is a former diplomat who served for a long time in the Indian Foreign Service. After entering politics, he handled important portfolios such as urban development and housing as a Union Minister. At present he is a Rajya Sabha member from Uttar Pradesh, and his current term is due to end on November 25. His nomination from Madhya Pradesh has also ended speculation about his continuation in the Union Cabinet. The party has fielded him as an experienced and trusted face, and party workers welcomed him warmly on his arrival in Bhopal.
Full by-election schedule
The last date for filing nominations for this Rajya Sabha by-election is November 2. Scrutiny of nomination papers will take place on November 3, while the last date for withdrawal of candidature is November 5. If required, polling will be held on November 12 from 9 am to 4 pm, and the result will be declared the same evening after counting. The entire election will be completed by November 16. The nomination process is completed before the returning officer in the Assembly, where the candidate appears with his proposers. After scrutiny and withdrawal, the final list of candidates is decided. Voting takes place only if more than one candidate remains in the fray; otherwise the election can also be unopposed.
The numbers game in the Assembly
The Madhya Pradesh Legislative Assembly has 230 members. Of these, the BJP has 164 MLAs, the Congress has 65, and the Bharat Adivasi Party has one. A candidate needs 116 votes to win the Rajya Sabha by-election. On the basis of these numbers, the BJP candidate’s position is considered strong. The party has enough legislators on its own to secure a win, which is why the BJP’s victory in this by-election is seen as highly likely. Formalities will nevertheless continue until the election process is complete, and the MLAs’ votes will be decisive if polling takes place. This arithmetic is the biggest political reality of the by-election, and all eyes are on it.
Congress objection and Puri’s stand
The nomination has drawn protests from the Congress. Madhya Pradesh Congress president Jitu Patwari questioned the BJP’s decision at a press conference in Bhopal and said the party must give a clear answer on the candidature. The Congress has announced protests at the district and block levels, and party workers burnt effigies in Bhopal. The Congress says questions remain unanswered about references to Puri’s name in documents released in the United States, while Puri has previously denied the charges levelled against him. The Congress has also alleged that L. Murugan was made to resign to vacate the seat, while the BJP’s position is that Murugan resigned on his own to take up organisational work. The nomination has thus also sharpened the political debate, with arguments from both sides now in the open.
What happens next
After the nomination, attention will turn to the scrutiny and withdrawal dates. Nomination papers will be scrutinised on November 3, and names can be withdrawn until November 5. After that it will be clear whether polling will be held for this seat or the election will be unopposed. If polling takes place, MLAs will cast their votes on November 12 and the result will come the same evening. The by-election is politically significant for Madhya Pradesh because the seat is linked to the political innings of a senior Union Minister. Political activity around this by-election is expected to intensify in the coming days.
Read more about Chief Minister Mohan Yadav and find the latest updates here.
Disclaimer: This news has been prepared on the basis of available sources and verification. In case of any factual error, a correction will be published.
