Unrest in Cong as papers of 4 Block Samiti nominees rejected

The nomination papers of four nominees of the Congress for the December 14 Block Samiti elections were rejected by the Returning Officer (RO) and Assistant Returning Officer of Bholath on Friday, leading to massive unrest in the party in the area.

Congress MLA Sukhpal Khaira went live on Facebook with the candidates to share his grouse. He has even lodged a complaint with State Election Commissioner Raj Kamal Chaudhari, alleging that the RO and the ARO of Bholath had succumbed to political pressure and hence rejected the papers.

He has listed out the names of the candidates - Puran Singh from Zone No. 17 Lakhan Ke Padde, Joban Singh and Gurjit Singh from Zone No. 18 Chakoke, Hardev Singh and Kamaljit Kaur from Zone No. 10 Nangal Lubana and Rajinder Kaur from Zone No. 21 Padde Bet.

"The officers did not even display the list at 5.30 pm and left the office premises without passing any logical orders for the rejection of the papers", he wrote.

Interestingly, while the State Election Commission has mostly appointed SDMs as the ROs, this has not been the case in Bholath. Instead, PWD SDO Rajinder Singh is serving as the RO while Executive Officer, Bholath Municipal Council, Randeep Singh Waraich is the ARO.

Waraich is the same official against whom Khaira had earlier lodged a complaint for allegedly delaying the election of Bholath and Nadala MCs a year ago. Khaira had also moved a complaint against him for remaining present with AAP workers in the Ludhiana West area during bypoll after which the ECI had recommended disciplinary action against him for violating the Model Code of Conduct.

Khaira has reported another discrepancy with the State Election Commissioner. He wrote at 6 pm on Friday, "While I’m complaining the RO-cum-ADC, Kapurthala, has still not displayed the list of candidates for 3 zones of Zila Parishad related to the Bholath constituency. I urge you to direct the ROs concerned to immediately provide us with rejection orders so that we can move the Punjab and Haryana High Court."

RO Rajinder Singh maintained, "The papers of two candidates of the Congress have been rejected for not filing the caste certificates. The papers of other two have been rejected as we got report from the BDPO that they had usurped government land. We have told reasons for rejection to all four candidates."