Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri filed his Rajya Sabha nomination papers in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, on Saturday, October 28. He did so after a brief pilgrimage to a Gurudwara and a blessing at Karuna Dham Ashram, with Chief Minister Mohan Yadav and BJP state president Hemant Khandelwal present. The filing took place under tight security at the state Assembly building, where MP Minister Krishna Gaur served as one of Puri’s proposers. The move follows the BJP’s Central Election Committee announcement on October 28 that Puri would replace the resigning Union Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs, L Murugan.
Bhopal police detained several Congress leaders a few hours before the nomination, including Youth Congress district president Amit Khatri, state vice‑president Abhishek Parmar, and district president Ankit Dubey. The arrests triggered angry protests by party workers who burned effigies of the minister across the city. Congress media cell coordinator Abhinav Barolia said the BJP was throttling dissent and vowed to continue protesting against Puri. The detentions were reportedly aimed at curbing dissent ahead of the by‑poll.
The nomination has reignited controversy over Puri’s past links to convicted US sex‑offender Jeffrey Epstein, with Congress leaders demanding transparency. State Congress president Jitu Patwari alleged the BJP had asked Murugan to resign to accommodate Puri and referenced meetings and emails between Puri and Epstein from 2014 to 2017. Puri has denied all allegations, while the Congress says its fight is about accountability and political dignity in Madhya Pradesh. The debate has also spotlighted MLA Nirmala Sapre, whose allegiance remains uncertain amid a pending anti‑defection case.
The Madhya Pradesh Assembly now has 229 members after court disqualification of legislator Mukesh Malhotra, and the effective strength for the by‑poll stands at 229. The BJP holds seven of the state’s 11 Rajya Sabha seats, the Congress three, and one seat is vacant. The contested seat was vacated by L Murugan, whose term was set to end in April 2030. The outcome of the by‑poll will determine whether the BJP can maintain its majority in the upper house.
The by‑poll is scheduled for November 12, with the BJP expected to win the seat. The opposition protests may influence voter turnout and the final result. The result will be announced after the assembly votes at 7:00 a.m. on the election day.