Why Comedian Shyam Rangeela's Nomination From Varanasi Got Rejected?

The Election Commission on Wednesday rejected the affidavit of comedian Shyam Rangeela, who had filed a nomination to contest against Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the Varanasi Lok Sabha seat.

He shared a video where he claimed that the EC rejected 36 out of 55 nominees. The comedian said he had lodged a complaint over a series of obstacles encountered during the nomination process, and stated that he was prevented from submitting his documents within the designated timeframe.

The 29-year-old person had filed a nomination on May 14 as an independent candidate.

He further claimed discrepancies at the District Magistrate's office, alleging unfair treatment and lack of support during the filing procedure.

Why His Nomination Papers were Rejected?

"My nomination has been rejected...They don't want me to contest from here. They took my nomination papers after 3 pm on Tuesday (the last day for filing nomination), while I was alone. I was a first-timer and didn't know the process. No one told me that I was to take an oath. Now, they are saying that because I did not take an oath, my papers were rejected," The Indian Express quoted him as saying.

Varanasi District Magistrate's Response

However, the official account of Varanasi District Magistrate S Rajalingam stated that his nomination paper was scrutinized in his presence and he was informed about the deficiencies. "Your nomination paper has been cancelled because the affidavit submitted by you was incomplete and you did not take the oath/affirmation, a copy of the order of which has also been made available to you,"

It is interesting to note that Rangeela was once a staunch supporter of PM Modi. Explaining why he is contesting against the PM, the comedian stated, "In 2014, I was a fervent supporter of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. I actively shared numerous videos in support of him, while also criticizing Rahul Gandhi and Arvind Kejriwal. At that time, it seemed like I would only vote for the Bharatiya Janata Party for the next 70 years. However, circumstances have evolved over the past decade. Therefore, I have chosen to contest against the Prime Minister in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections as an Independent candidate."