Bhopal, October 30, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Union Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Hardeep Singh Puri, the BJP’s candidate for the Rajya Sabha by-election from Madhya Pradesh, will file his nomination papers in Bhopal on Saturday in the presence of Chief Minister Mohan Yadav and senior party leaders.
According to the Madhya Pradesh BJP media department, Puri will leave the party’s state headquarters at 11 am on October 31 and proceed to the state Assembly to submit his nomination.
Before that, Puri and Chief Minister Yadav will pay floral tributes to statues of prominent party leaders at the BJP headquarters at 10.30 am. State BJP president Hemant Khandelwal, organisational general secretary Chandrashekhar and other senior leaders are also expected to be present during the nomination process.
The BJP announced Puri as its candidate on October 28 for the November 12 by-election. The seat fell vacant after Union Minister L. Murugan resigned, although his term was scheduled to continue until April 2030.
Puri is currently a Rajya Sabha member from Uttar Pradesh, where his term is due to end on November 25. His candidature from Madhya Pradesh has triggered criticism from the Congress, which has questioned the BJP’s decision to field a leader from outside the state instead of a local candidate.
The Congress has also raised questions over Puri’s alleged interactions with convicted American sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and sought an explanation from the Union Minister and the BJP.
The BJP is numerically well placed in the 230-member Madhya Pradesh Assembly, which elects the Rajya Sabha representative. The party has 164 MLAs, while the Congress has 65.
Polling for the by-election is scheduled for November 12.
FOLLOW NOW
