E-Paper
UP polls: Samajwadi Party activist challenges candidature of Baghel in Karhal
The complainant has forwarded his objections to candidature of Baghel to the Mainpuri district magistrate and the returning officer for Karhal
A lawyer, who is also a Samajwadi Party (SP) activist, has challenged the candidature of Union minister of state for law and justice SP Singh Baghel, the BJP nominee pitted against SP president Akhilesh Yadav on the Karhal assembly seat in Mainpuri district for the UP polls.
The complainant has forwarded his objections to candidature of Baghel the Mainpuri district magistrate and the returning officer for Karhal.
Addressing the media in Mainpuri on Friday, Suresh Chand Soni, who is also president of Support India, besides being a lawyer and Samajwadi Party activist, alleged that Baghel had made the wrong disclosure about his caste and concealed the cases against him.
“There were eight cases against Baghel out of which three were withdrawn by the state government. He has mentioned two cases in his nomination papers but concealed the three remaining cases,” alleged Soni.
“Besides, Baghel had received education as a Thakur but joined police duty as a member of the Other Backward Classes (OBC). He won three Lok Sabha elections from Jalesar and went to Rajya Sabha for the BSP as an OBC member, but contested the 2017 assembly election from Tundla reserved seat and the (Lok Sabha election from) Agra parliamentary (reserved) seat in 2019 as an SC (Scheduled Caste) candidate on basis of a certificate showing him as a dhangar (SC),” the Samajwadi Party activist alleged..
A case should be registered against the minister and recovery be made, besides cancellation of his nomination (for the UP polls) on these discrepancies in his caste reference and concealment of cases, he demanded.
When reached for his comment, Union minister of state for law and justice SP Singh Baghel said he was not aware of any such objections.
“I do not know the person making such objections but, in any case, the time for raising objections and scrutiny of nomination papers has lapsed. Thus, no such objections hold any ground now. However, I am not aware of any such development,” said Baghel who added that the party symbol has been allotted to him.
Baghel had filed his nomination on January 31, soon after Akhilesh Yadav.
Karhal goes to polls in the third phase of the Uttar Pradesh assembly polls on February 20.
