Zafar Islam’s RS papers found valid, BJP to withdraw Shukla

LUCKNOW: As on Wednesday, two Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidates are in fray for the lone Rajya Sabha by-polls, after the rejection of the nomination papers of independent candidate Mahesh Chandra Sharma who had filed his nomination for RS on Tuesday.

However, this is a temporary situation as the BJP has already decided to withdraw the candidature of BJP UP general secretary Govind Narayan Shukla, the second candidate from the party to have filed the nomination on Tuesday.

“Govind ji will withdraw. We have already indicated as much,” a BJP leader said.

BJP’s original candidate, party spokesman Syed Zafar Islam’s nominations were filed on his behalf by senior minister Suresh Khanna on Saturday as an unwell Zafar, admitted to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), failed to make it on Saturday. At the time of filing papers, candidates have to take oath before returning officer which in Zafar’s case was done virtually from AIIMS.

Shukla was fielded mainly to cover up for any last minute technical flaw in Zafar’s nomination. But, after the rejection of independent candidate Mahesh Chandra Sharma who failed to get 10 MLAs to back his nomination, as well as the fact that both Zafar and Shukla’s papers were found valid by returning officer Brij Bhushan Dubey, the party decided to withdraw Shukla’s candidature.

Friday (by 3 pm) is the last date for withdrawal of nomination papers but an official announcement on Shukla’s withdrawal is expected on Thursday.

As per election rules, in case two candidates of the same party, filed nominations and remained in fray, the one who filed papers first would be treated as official candidate and the other would be treated as an independent, said those aware of the election rules.