The Returning Officer of Bhadohi has rejected our candidate's (Rabi Kant Bharti's) nomination form in Bhadohi.
On 24 April 2019, the day of scrutiny, Rabi asked for written reasons for the rejection from the RO Bhadohi but was not provided any such written documentation. The RO also refused to entertain a revised affidavit that had corrected a very minor error in the original one. The RO also refused to give time to the party to clarify issues.
This is in direct contravention of the Candidate Handbook issued by the Election Commission. The behaviour of the RO is violative of the basic principles of democracy.
On 25 April 2019, when this was reported to the party head office, the party asked Rabi to lodge a written request in this regard with the RO. He met the DM and the DM agreed to get the letter receipted through his steno, but the steno refused to do so, and Rabi was driven out without a receipt. The guards refused to let him see the DM again. The photo of the written letter from Rabi can be downloaded here.
On that day, 25 April, the RO and Central Observer were out of the city the whole day and it was not possible to meet any of them.
On 25 April the party raised this matter via email with the Chief Electoral Officer of UP and also with the Election Commissioners Mr Ashok Lavasa and Mr Sushil Chandra. Mr Lavasa was contacted on phone and said that the decision of the RO is final in matters of accepting nomination and that the Election Commission cannot issue any directions to him. He said, however, that the Central Observer in Bhadohi can potentially ask the RO about whether he has followed all the required procedures and that's something we should do. Rabi tried his best to locate the Central Observer but was unsuccessful. It is understood that the Central Observer was not present in town (and his phone number was not provided to our candidate despite our repeated requests) on 25 April.
The action of the RO in this case has been ultra vires of his powers and in violation of election law and the procedures laid out in the Candidates Handbook. The RO also refuses to receive letters from the candidate and guards don't allow him to meet the DM. Our candidate has being treated as if he is an enemy of India!
SBP agrees that there was a very minor and non-substantive error in the original nomination paper and that due to lack of experience, the candidate Rabi failed to make the necessary correction before the commencement of the scrutiny process. However, the intent of the law is very clear and the moment Rabi realised the matter he sought to make amends - well within the time allotted for such matters - but was repeatedly denied the opportunity to do so. That is the real issue here - that on an entirely non-substantive matter, and without giving him the due opportunity to make amends, Rabi's nomination paper was rejected.
यह लोकतंत्र की हत्या है. लोकतंत्र में जब स्वच्छ और नए लोगों को चुनाव में हिस्सा लेने से ही रोक दिया जायेगा तो लानत है ऐसी व्यवस्था पर और ऐसे चुनाव प्रशासन पर.
BUT THE RO HAS ACCEPTED THE BJP CANDIDATE'S PAPER WHEN HE STATED HE IS FROM BSP!
But on 26 April it was discovered that the RO in Bhadohi is actually baised and has not only rejected the nomination paper of our party's candidate without written reasons but has accepted the nomination paper of the BJP candidate despite that candidate swearing in his affidavit that he belongs to the Bahujan Samaj Party.
Detailed youtube news report on this matter:
(Further news report on this issue.)
The RO has accepted the MOST GROSS ERROR in the nomination paper of BJP but rejected our party’s nomination despite our party’s error being the most minor possible matter?
It is a total travesty of the laws and a mockery of democracy for the Election Commission to appoint such ROs who can't do their basic job properly or are severely biased.
If it were not for the fact that the socialist system of India has caused the total collapse of competence in the administration, this event would be seen as a conspiracy against the Swarna Bharat Party by the BJP.
CALL FOR REMOVAL OF RO AND DOING THE ELECTORAL PROCESS AFRESH
SBP calls for removal of the heavily biased or grossly incompetent Returning Officer of Bhadohi and for restarting the electoral process .
[NOTE: This new report will be updated as and when more information becomes available]
DOCUMENTATION AND REFERENCES
Handbook for Candidate - sections regarding scrutiny. Full Handbook is available here.
Letter that the DM's steno refused to receive despite DM's directive.
Complaint to Chief Electoral Officer UP at 3:56 pm on 25 April 2019.
Complaint to Chief Electoral Officer UP at 4:12 pm on 25 April 2019
Complaint to Election Commission (pgroceoup@gmail.com) at 4:16 pm on 25 April 2019.
Complaint to Sushil Chandra, Electdion Commissioner at 5:05 pm on 25 April 2019
Second complaint to Election Commissioners and Chief Electoral Officer of UP, at 2:14 am on 27 April 2019