MP panchayat poll: Absconding miscreant set to become Sarpanch

Morena (MP), Jan 7: An absconding reward-carrying miscreant is set to get elected unopposed as the sarpanch of Aisah village here as other aspirants withdrew from the fray after they came to know that Sunil Tomar had also filed his nomination papers for the three-tier Panchayat elections.

"If Tomar was found eligible as per the prescribed guidelines of the State Election Commission, then he would be declared elected unopposed and certificate would be issued to him, otherwise not," Morena Collector Shilpa Gupta said when asked how an absconding miscreant had filed his nomination.

However, Ambah town's Sub Divisional Officer of Police (SDOP) Kishore Singh Bhadoria said police is verifying whether Tomar had personally appeared to file his nomination papers or was filed by a proposer and seconded by his supporter.

In Panchayat elections, it is not necessary for the candidate to personally appear before the returning officer to file his/her nomination papers, Bhadoria said. "May be it was filed by Tomar's proposer and seconded by his supporter," the SDOP said.

But when other six candidates came to know that Tomar, who is a known miscreant in the area, had filed his nomination papers for the Aisah village's sarpanch post, they withdrew from the race paving way for his unopposed election, an official said.

Tomar is the son of Aisah village's former sarpanch, Brijkishore Singh Tomar and Chambal range Inspector General (IG) had declared a reward of Rs 15,000 following registration of number of criminal cases against him.

PTI