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The nomination of Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri for the Rajya Sabha has been accepted following the dismissal of objections raised against his candidature, while the nominations of two other candidates, Kante Sayanna and Rajkumar Lohani, have been rejected.
According to the order, Kante Sayanna's nomination was rejected for failing to fulfil the mandatory requirement of signatures from 10 per cent of the elected members of the State Legislative Assembly or 10 elected members, whichever is fewer. Rajkumar Lohani's nomination was rejected for failing to submit the mandatory Form 26 affidavit by the 3 PM deadline on November 2, 2026. With the deadline for withdrawal of candidatures set for 3 PM, Puri could now be elected unopposed to the Upper House. Puri filed his nomination papers at the Madhya Pradesh Legislative Assembly in Bhopal on October 31 in the presence of Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav, Deputy Chief Ministers Rajendra Shukla and Jagdish Devda, BJP state president Hemant Khandelwal, state cabinet ministers and other party leaders. Expressing his happiness over Puri's nomination, Yadav welcomed Puri's nomination for the Rajya Sabha bypoll from the state, saying his presence would prove beneficial for both the government at the Centre and in Madhya Pradesh. "It is a matter of great joy to have Hardeep Puri with us. He is a capable and successful Minister in the Government of India, as well as an excellent administrator. His presence will prove beneficial not only to the Government of India but also to our state. Many congratulations to him," Yadav said. Madhya Pradesh BJP president Hemant Khandelwal also expressed confidence that the state would benefit from Puri's contributions following his election to the Rajya Sabha. "Once elected, Madhya Pradesh will certainly benefit from his contributions. Even during his previous tenure as a Minister, he had gifted many initiatives to Madhya Pradesh. Moving forward, under the leadership of the Prime Minister and in coordination with our Chief Minister, we will ensure that his ministry initiates even more significant projects for the benefit of Madhya Pradesh," Khandelwal said. The BJP Central Election Committee on October 28 announced the nomination of Puri as the party's candidate for the upcoming Rajya Sabha by-election from Madhya Pradesh. According to an official press release issued from the BJP central office at Deen Dayal Upadhyay Marg, the Central Election Committee gave its approval to Puri's candidature for the upper house seat representing the state. "The Central Election Committee of the Bharatiya Janata Party has given its approval to the name for the upcoming Rajya Sabha by-election 2026 in Madhya Pradesh: Hardeep Singh Puri," the party statement read. The announcement comes as preparations are underway for the lone Rajya Sabha seat from Madhya Pradesh, which fell vacant following the resignation of former Union Minister L. Murugan. (ANI)
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