Nominees' rejected papers not admitted

Sukhwinder Malhi / TNN / May 25, 2008, 04:03 IST

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Poll officials here had their hands full on Saturday while verifying a large number of rejected nomination papers of candidates again at more than 12 villages in Dera Baba Nanak and elsewhere in the district.

GURDASPUR: Poll officials here had their hands full on Saturday while verifying a large number of rejected nomination papers of candidates again at more than 12 villages in Dera Baba Nanak and elsewhere in the district.
Five candidates of Nawan Dhakala village in Dinanagar block said despite the state election commissioner's intervention, their papers had not been admitted and the panchayat had been declared unanimously elected.
The Punjab and Haryana HC while hearing a bunch of petitions related to "wrongful rejection of nomination papers" had directed the affected parties to approach the election tribunal for redress.
With the high court upping the ante, the state election commission had ordered fresh scrutiny of a large number of nomination papers of the complainants by Saturday.

While a large number of complainants met Gurdaspur poll observer Jagjit Puri and Gurdaspur DC Gurkirat Kirpal Singh for seeking relief in this regard, the returning officers (ROs) concerned, allegedly working at the behest of local MLAs and ministers, refused to follow the commission's order.
Five candidates from Nawan Dhakala village Shiv Dayal, Amarjit Kaur, Kartari, Swaran Dass and Sukhdev Singh alleged their papers were not admitted by the Dorangla returning officer despite the fact that they were in the queue to submit the same at 2.45 pm on May 17, the last day of filing nominations.

The returning officer concerned allegedly at the behest of Dinangar BJP MLA declared that the village panchayat had been unanimously elected. The complainants said they met the Gurdaspur DC on Saturday but their papers were not admitted.
In Dera Baba Nanak block some complainants from Rauwal, Mamman, Mahal, Mehta and Bhagwanpur villages alleged that in some cases their papers were not admitted as their files were forcibly snatched from them by supporters of SAD leaders while in some other their candidatures were cancelled by returning officers allegedly at the behest of the ruling party.
Former Dhariwal MLA Sucha Singh Chhotepur said he had met Gurdaspur poll observer Jagjit Puri again so that the papers of his supporters could be reconsidered, but all in vain as the ROs were not in a mood to consider their pleas even after being told by the officials to do so.

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