Union Minister Puri files nomination papers for Rajya Sabha bypoll in MP
The BJP has fielded Mr. Puri from the seat vacated by L. Murugan, who resigned from the Union government and the Upper House earlier this month. Murugan's RS term was due to end in April 2030
Bhopal Union Petroleum Minister Hardeep Singh Puri, a BJP nominee for the upcoming Rajya Sabha by-election in Madhya Pradesh, filed his nomination papers on Saturday, October 31, 2026, amidst controversy. The filing began on Monday after Murugan's resignation from the Union government and Upper House, leaving a vacancy in the Madhya Pradesh seat.
Puri, aged 74, arrived at the State Assembly building shortly after 11 a.m. for the process. Born in Bhopal, Puri has previously served as a Rajya Sabha member from Uttar Pradesh, with his term due to expire on November 25. The BJP has retained Puri as their nominee for the Madhya Pradesh seat, vacated by L. Murugan, who resigned earlier this month.
Murugan was set to serve until April 2030. Puri's return to the Rajya Sabha has been met with opposition, as Congress legislators burnt his effigies in Bhopal, alleging his name figured in documents linked to Jeffrey Epstein, a U.S. sex offender. The Congress has been demanding Puri's resignation since earlier this year, claiming he is implicated in the Epstein files released in the U.S. Puri has consistently denied the charges.
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