Objections cloud Nathwani’s Rajya Sabha bid
Surendra Soren
Ranchi
Political activity intensified in Jharkhand on Tuesday as objections were raised against the nomination of independent candidate Parimal Nathwani during the scrutiny of papers for the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections.
The scrutiny of nomination papers was conducted at the office of the Returning Officer in the Assembly premises. While the nominations of Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) candidate Baidyanath Ram and Congress candidate Pranav Jha were found to be valid, Nathwani’s nomination has been kept on hold pending further examination.
Objections to Nathwani’s nomination were raised by the Congress and the JMM, citing alleged discrepancies in his documents. Following the objections, the Returning Officer decided to withhold final approval and seek clarification.
According to sources, three key objections have been flagged. The first pertains to discrepancies in the candidate’s name, with variations such as “Parimal Nathwani” and “Nathwani Parimal” appearing in different documents, though this is being viewed as a minor clerical issue.
The second objection relates to a missing column in the nomination form, which is part of the prescribed format. Clarification has been sought on this aspect.
The third and more significant objection concerns the disclosure of criminal history, where it is alleged that the relevant column has not been filled properly.
Following the objections, Nathwani personally visited the Assembly Secretariat and participated in the process of responding to the queries raised by the Returning Officer. Several senior leaders of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) were also present in support of his candidature.
An associate of Nathwani claimed that the objections had been addressed and dismissed. However, no official statement has been issued by the Returning Officer so far.
The Returning Officer has directed Nathwani or his authorised representative to submit their response by 11 a.m. on Wednesday, after which a final decision on the validity of his nomination will be taken.
If Nathwani’s nomination is cleared, the contest for the two Rajya Sabha seats in Jharkhand is expected to become more competitive, potentially leading to a triangular contest and heightened political intrigue.
