Hardeep Singh Puri named BJP candidate for Madhya Pradesh Rajya Sabha bye-poll

The Bharatiya Janata Party on Wednesday named Union minister Hardeep Singh Puri as its candidate for the Rajya Sabha bye-election in Madhya Pradesh.

The bye-poll, scheduled for November 12, became necessary after L Murugan resigned from the Upper House of Parliament and as the Union minister on October 14. His Rajya Sabha term was to end in April 2030.

Based on the composition of the Madhya Pradesh Assembly, Puri is expected to win the seat unopposed.

Puri became a Rajya Sabha member from Uttar Pradesh in January 2018, four months after becoming a Union minister. His current term will end on November 25.

He was not among the BJP candidates announced for the Rajya Sabha polls in Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and West Bengal earlier this month. Puri is not a member of the Lok Sabha.

A minister who is not a member of either House of Parliament for six consecutive months ceases to be a part of the Cabinet.

Puri’s candidature comes amid questions since early this year after his name came up in the “Epstein files”.

The “Epstein files” refer to millions of documents, emails, photos and videos released by the United States Department of Justice detailing the activities of Epstein, an American financier, and his social circle that included politicians, celebrities and several public figures.

Epstein is accused of sexually...

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