In a conversation with The Quint about a week ago, comedian Shyam Rangeela was upbeat and eager to challenge PM Modi in his stronghold of Varanasi. However, on 15 May, Rangeela learned his nomination was rejected after five days of persistent efforts.
“I wasn’t aiming to win; I knew it would be tough. Winning wasn’t the goal, but simply being able to contest was, to show that people can challenge the status quo in a democracy, but even that wasn’t allowed,” Rangeela told The Quint.
What led to the rejection of his nomination? Rangeela alleged flimsy grounds and intentional delays.
“They have sent a clear message that the Election Commission is controlled. The way democracy is being manipulated is evident in the game played with me,” he stated.
Rangeela said he wasn’t alone—about 300 aspiring candidates faced similar obstacles. “Many people want to contest, but their nominations aren’t being accepted.”
Almost 70% of those who tried to file their nominations were unsuccessful. After waiting in line for three days, they left in frustration, tearing up documents and shouting slogans.
Here’s what happened:
The official deadline to submit documents was 3 PM on 14 May. “They only let us in after 3 PM and didn’t allow my lawyer Prem Prakash inside either. We were around 30 people, and our documents were checked thoroughly. My form was complete, but they told us to submit another affidavit at 5 PM, despite the 3 PM deadline,” Rangeela recalled.
He was told to submit his affidavit by 11:59 PM that night. “When we returned before 10 PM, the DM said, ‘How have they even come here? Who let them in?’ They probably assumed we wouldn’t come at night and therefore wouldn’t complete the pending work.”
Rangeela recorded the visit to the DM’s office to show the time. The next morning, he was informed his nomination was rejected. He confronted DM Rajalingam, asking why it was rejected when he had arrived at 10 PM the previous night. “They replied, ‘It was no time to come; those weren’t official hours. You are just arguing with us.’ When I showed them the form with the 11:59 PM deadline, they said, ‘We can write whatever time we want, but the deadline was 3 PM, 14 May. Doesn’t matter what we write.'”
Regarding the oath, Rangeela noted several incidents:
- Candidates had requested to take the oath the previous day within the deadline, and officers, including the DM, assured them it would be done later and gave them slips.
- His lawyer informed him that the office was responsible for the oath. “I was told it’s a simple process where the officer and I sign the document. It’s their responsibility to get it done.”
- Other candidates who had written their oath and attached it to their documents found that the officer hadn’t signed them, claiming they hadn’t submitted their oath. “I saw people facing this issue. The officers simply went back on their word.”
Rangeela called it a “well-planned conspiracy.” By 14 May, there were 15 nominations, but after PM Modi filed his nomination, only eight were accepted. He alleged that out of the 15, seven were dummy candidates purposely used to delay the process by 3 PM, preventing others from completing their documents.
Although Rangeela emphasized he never refused to take the oath and had asked about it, DM Rajaligam posted on X, blaming him for the rejection.
