.jpg)
George Kurian.
Credit: DH Photo
Bhopal: Union Minister of State George Kurian is set to win the Rajya Sabha bypoll from Madhya Pradesh unopposed as a BJP nominee, following the submission of nomination forms by only three persons, including a dummy candidate of BJP, an official said on Wednesday.
Nomination filed by one Kuldeep Belawat may face procedural issue during scrutiny as he submitted papers without mandatory proposers.
Chief Electoral Officer Anupam Rajan inspected the Returning Officer's office within the state assembly building, reviewing the submitted nomination papers for the September 3 byelection.
Rajan confirmed that the deadline for nominations was August 21, with two candidates submitting their papers on the final day, bringing the total number of nominations to four from three candidates.
The scrutiny of the nomination papers is scheduled for August 22, while the deadline for withdrawal of nominations is August 27.
Kurian, representing the BJP, filed his nomination as the primary candidate. State BJP vice president Kantdev Singh, from Singrauli, also submitted his nomination as a dummy candidate for the party.
Additionally, one Kuldeep Belawat submitted a nomination without necessary proposer endorsements, an official said. A minimum of ten MLAs are required to propose a Rajya Sabha candidate.
Given the lack of opposition and the procedural issues faced by other candidates, Kurian is expected to be declared elected unopposed, the official added.
The lone vacancy from Madhya Pradesh was created after Rajya Sabha member and Union minister Jyotiraditya Scindia won the Lok Sabha election from the Guna constituency.
Going by the BJP's strength in the MP assembly, the party candidate will win comfortably, if voting happens.
Rajya Sabha members are elected by MLAs of a legislative assembly who vote in proportional representation with the single transferable vote (STV) system.
In the 230-member House, BJP has 163 MLAs, Congress 64, and Bharat Adivasi Party (BAP) 1. Two assembly seats are lying vacant.