The rally of UPA chairperson and Congress President Sonia Gandhi scheduled on March 27 in Chandigarh has been postponed.
She was to address a rally in the city on Thursday in favour of party’s candidate Pawan Kumar Bansal, a four time MP from Chandigarh. The rally was to be organised in Sector 25 rally ground here.
A spokesperson of the party said that the new date for the rally would be announced shortly. The party high command has today communicated to the Chandigarh Congress unit that the rally can not be held on Thursday and a new scheduled would be announced soon.
BJP raises objections on Bansal nomination papers
At the time of the scrutiny of the nomination papers of various candidates from Chandigarh Parliamentary Constituency, an objection was raised to the nomination papers of Chandigarh Congress candidate Pawan Kumar Bansal. Satya Pal Jain, the proposer and Dheeraj Jain, authorised representative of BJP’s candidate Kirron Kher told the returning officer (RO) that the form A & B filed by Bansal along with his nomination form is not in the “Prescribed Form”.
They alleged that Bansal and his party have attached the forms A&B written by them in their own language without filling and attaching the form as prescribed by the Election Allotment and Reservation of Symbols Order 1968. They also said that a copy of these two forms was also not submitted to the Chief Electoral Officer before 3 pm on the last date of filling the nomination papers. They further alleged that it should also be verified whether Congress in-charge for Chandigarh Affairs, Shakeel Ahmad who signed form A in favour of Bansal has been authorised to do so by the Congress Party or not.
A spokesperson of the party said that the RO put this entire objection to Ashok Aggarwal, advocate who was representing Bansal. later, Bansal also reached DC Office and made his submissions to the objections raised by Jain before the RO.
After hearing both the sides, the RO accepted the nomination form of Bansal. “The BJP might move the Election Commission against this attitude of the RO,” said Jain.
Complaint against Kirron Kher
A complaint against BJP’s Chandigarh candidate Kirron Kher has been filed by her sister-in-law Gurindesh Sandhu with the Election Commission for allegedly filing wrong information about immovable assets and other properties in nomination papers from Chandigarh lok Sabha seat.
Gurindesh Sandhu, wife of late brother of Kirron Kher has stated in her complaint, “Kirron in her nomination filed has stated that she is resident of house no. 65, Sector 8A Chandigarh.
The affidavit filed by her is wrong as this is an HUF property and till date there is no partition. Kher cannot mention/declare the same property which is under challenge and is sub judice before the trail court and the court has kept the mutation of the said properties in abeyance, by Chandigarh Administration through the estate office. Kirron has allegedly got some part of this HUF property transferred in her name and the same is challenged in the District Court by myself and my daughters who are the lawful heirs and coparceners in HUF,” she stated in her complaint.
On the whole issue, BJP clarified that no objection was raised by any person to the nomination papers of Kirron Kher before they were accepted by the RO in the presence of various candidate and their representative. We have not been called upon by any authority to reply to any alleged complaint by any person against Kirron. All the information given by Kher in her nomination form and in the affidavit, are correct. Neither any information has been concealed nor any facts haves been misstated, claimed the BJP.
19 candidates in fray for Chandigarh lok Sabha seat
A total of 19 candidates are in fray for Chandigarh lok Sabha seat, polling for which would be held on April 10. The scrutiny of nomination forms received during the nomination period from March 15 to 22 was held on Monday by the returning officer in the presence of candidates and their representatives in Sector 17 DC office here. The scrutiny proceedings were conducted in the presence of election observer. The nomination papers of all the candidates were scrutinised and accepted by the Chandigarh Returning Officer.
A spokesperson of Election Department said that the nominations papers of BB Bahl and Ram Sumer Morya were rejected being the substitute candidates of Indian National Congress Party and Bahujan Samaj Party respectively. The last date of withdrawal of candidature is March 26, up to 3 pm. Now, a total 19 candidates remain in fray after the scrutiny.