Tej Bahadur Yadav's nomination as SP candidate from Varanasi rejected
Varanasi, May 1: Dismissed BSF jawan Tej Bahadur Yadav's nomination as the Samajwadi Party candidate against Prime Minister Narendra Modi from Varanasi Lok Sabha constituency was rejected on Wednesday, poll officials said.
Yadav was served notices Tuesday by the Varanasi returning officer over discrepancies in the two sets of nomination papers submitted by him.
In the first set of papers on April 24, he had mentioned that he was dismissed from the Border Security Force.
On April 29 he submitted a second set of papers this time as the Samajwadi Party nominee for the Lok Sabha seat but did not give out this information.
He was also required to submit a no-objection certificate from the BSF, giving reasons for his dismissal.
Yadav accused the BJP of resorting to "dictatorial steps" to stop him from fighting elections.
"My nomination was rejected today even though I had furnished the NOC from BSF that was required by the RO, he claimed.
I am a farmer's son and I was here to raise the voices of farmers and jawans," he told reporters.
His counsel Rajesh Gupta said, "We will approach the Supreme Court".
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Sujit Nair raises concerns over speculation of DMK-AIADMK understanding to block TVK
Chennai: Journalist and political commentator Sujit Nair has expressed concern over speculation that the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam could explore a post-poll understanding to prevent Vijay-led Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam from forming the government in Tamil Nadu.
In a social media post, Sujit Nair said the election verdict in Tamil Nadu reflected a clear public demand for political change and argued that the mandate should be respected irrespective of political preferences.
Referring to reports and political discussions surrounding a possible understanding between the DMK and AIADMK, he said he hoped such developments remained only speculative conversations and did not turn into reality.
Nair stated that if such an alliance were to take shape, it would raise serious questions about ideological politics in the country. He said TVK had emerged through a democratic electoral process and that the legitimacy to govern in a parliamentary democracy comes from the people’s verdict.
According to him, attempts to prevent an electoral winner from forming the government through unexpected political arrangements may be constitutionally valid, but many people could view them as politically opportunistic.
He further said that such a move could particularly affect the political image of the DMK, which has historically projected itself around ideology, social justice and opposition politics. Nair said that in ideological terms, the DMK appeared closer to TVK than to the AIADMK, and joining hands with its long-time political rival only to remain in power could weaken its broader political narrative.
He added that the same questions would apply to the AIADMK as well, as the party had spent decades positioning itself against the DMK and such an arrangement could create discomfort among its cadre and supporters.
Drawing a comparison with Maharashtra politics in 2019, Nair said he had expressed similar views when the Shiv Sena formed an alliance with the Indian National Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party after the Assembly elections.
He said post-poll alliances between long-standing political rivals often create a public perception that ideology and electoral mandates become secondary when political power equations come into play.
Nair also said such developments increase public cynicism towards politics and reinforce the belief among voters that ideology is often sidelined after elections.
He maintained that the Tamil Nadu verdict was emphatic and said respecting both the spirit and substance of the mandate was important for the credibility of democratic politics.
