What political compulsion led to Puri’s nomination from Madhya Pradesh, asks State Congress unit on RS bypoll

File photo of Madhya Pradesh Congress Committee president Jitu Patwari. | Photo Credit: SHIV KUMAR PUSHPAKAR

The Madhya Pradesh unit of Congress on Friday (October 30, 2026) slammed the nomination of Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri as the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate for the Rajya Sabha by-election in the State, seeking a “clear answer” on Mr. Puri’s meetings and communications with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein as referenced in the files released in the United States.

At a press conference in Bhopal, M.P. Congress president Jitu Patwari said: “What were the actual circumstances of these meetings? Did they occur solely as part of an official delegation — as previously claimed — or do the circumstances depicted in photographs suggest a different story? The BJP and Mr. Puri must provide a factual response to these questions.”

Party to protest

Mr. Patwari announced that the party will stage protests at the district and block levels against the nomination.

Mr. Puri, Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas, was announced as the BJP candidate on October 29 to replace former Union Minister L. Murugan who resigned from his Rajya Sabha seat earlier this month. The bypoll is scheduled for November 12.

The nomination also ended the speculation of Mr. Puri’s exit from the Union Cabinet with the end of his current Rajya Sabha term from Uttar Pradesh on November 25. 

Mr. Patwari also alleged that “Mr. Murugan, a Dalit leader, was forced to resign” to get the seat vacated and make way for Mr. Puri’s continuation in the Union Cabinet.

‘RS seats being exploited’

“Given that Mr. Puri has previously served as a Rajya Sabha member from Uttar Pradesh, what political compulsion led to his nomination from Madhya Pradesh? This seat was vacated by forcing a Dalit Rajya Sabha member from the State to resign. Has the BJP run out of qualified leaders in Madhya Pradesh, or are the State’s Rajya Sabha seats being exploited to serve political interests in Delhi?” the Congress leader asked.

“RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat often speaks about the importance of having workers of high moral character and upholding ethical values ​​in public life. Why is the BJP — a party that frequently judges others against the yardstick of morality — now avoiding answering the questions being raised about it?” Mr. Patwari said.

Published - October 30, 2026 05:45 pm IST