A total of 18 nominations have been rejected during the scrutiny of papers for October 21 bye-elections of four assembly constituencies, including BSP’s candidate for Dakha Baldev Singh.
In all, 36 candidates are left in fray for bypolls to Phagwara, Mukerian, Dakha, and Jalalabad. However, the list of candidates would be finalised after the completion of withdrawal of nominations on October 3, following which the election symbols will be allotted to the candidates.
During the scrutiny of papers, it has been found that Baldev Singh, who has filed his nomination from Dakha as BSP (Bahujan Samaj Party) candidate, has failed to provide a letter of authority from the party leadership.
“Baldev Singh has filed his papers as BSP candidate. But he failed to provide any authority letter which says that the party has announced him as its candidate,” a senior election official told The Pioneer adding that his papers were rejected on the same grounds. BSP’s Punjab unit chief Jasvir S Garhi has also maintained that the party has fielded only one candidate from Phagwara in accordance with the directions of Mayawati.
“Baldev Singh, who has filed his papers from Dakha, is not our candidate. We’ve not given him any authority letter...We’ll take action against Baldev for filing papers as BSP candidate without our consent,” Garhi said. Besides Baldev Singh, nomination papers of three other candidates from Dakha has been rejected, leaving 12 candidates in fray, out of total 16 who had filed their nominations.
As many 16 candidates had filed their nomination papers for Phagwara assembly constituency, out of which 10 nomination papers have been found valid, while six nominations have been rejected. Similarly, 11 candidates had filed their nomination papers for Mukerian assembly constituency, out of which five nomination papers have been rejected and six have been found correct. Likewise, 11 candidates had filed their nominations papers for Jalalabad assembly constituency, from which eight nominations have found correct, while three have been rejected.
Total 36 nomination papers found correct out of total 54 nomination papers for four assembly constituencies after the scrutiny process, said a spokesperson of Punjab Chief Electoral Office.