Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri has officially filed his nomination papers as the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate for the upcoming Rajya Sabha by-election in Madhya Pradesh. The filing took place on Saturday, October 28, 2026, amidst heightened security and the detention of several Congress leaders who were reportedly preparing to protest against his candidacy. Puri, aged 74, arrived at the state Assembly building shortly after 11 am, accompanied by Chief Minister Mohan Yadav and BJP state president Hemant Khandelwal.

Prior to submitting his nomination, Puri visited a gurudwara and the Karuna Dham Ashram to seek blessings from Sant Sudesh Shandilya Maharaj. His nomination was supported by Madhya Pradesh Minister Krishna Gaur, who was one of the proposers for his candidacy. The BJP’s Central Election Committee had previously announced Puri as its nominee for the seat vacated by the resignation of Union Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs L Murugan, whose term was set to conclude in April 2030.

In the Madhya Pradesh Assembly, which consists of 230 members, the effective strength for the bypoll on November 12 is currently 229. This reduction is due to the disqualification of Congress legislator Mukesh Malhotra following a court ruling. The state has a total of 11 Rajya Sabha seats, with the BJP holding seven and the Congress three, leaving one seat vacant.

Protests and Detentions Ahead of Nomination

In anticipation of protests against Puri’s nomination, Bhopal police detained several Congress leaders. Youth Congress district president Amit Khatri was taken to Ashbagh police station, while state vice-president Abhishek Parmar and district president Ankit Dubey were detained at Habibganj police station. These detentions led to protests by Youth Congress workers, who expressed their discontent over what they perceive as suppression of dissent by the BJP.

MP Congress media cell co-ordinator Abhinav Barolia stated, “The BJP is throttling dissent. We will continue protesting against Puri.” The Congress party has actively demonstrated against Puri, including burning effigies of the Union Minister across Bhopal on the preceding Friday. The opposition’s stance is reportedly linked to Puri’s alleged connections to documents associated with convicted US sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

Additionally, attention is drawn to Bina MLA Nirmala Sapre, who claims allegiance to the Congress but has been observed attending BJP events. Her voting position remains uncertain due to a pending anti-defection case, complicating the assessment of the effective strength of both parties in the assembly.

Congress Questions BJP’s Decision

Hours before Puri’s arrival in Bhopal, state Congress president Jitu Patwari raised concerns regarding the BJP’s decision to nominate him. Patwari alleged that a Dalit leader, L Murugan, was compelled to resign to make way for Puri. He referenced publicly available documents that purportedly show meetings and email exchanges between Puri and Epstein from 2014 to 2017, demanding clarification from the BJP and Puri on matters of public accountability.

Patwari emphasised that the Congress’s fight centres on transparency, accountability, and the political dignity of Madhya Pradesh, rather than making unfounded allegations against individuals. Puri has previously denied all accusations made against him by the opposition party regarding this issue. The political landscape in Madhya Pradesh continues to evolve as the bypoll approaches, with both parties preparing for an intense electoral battle.

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