Jaisalmer: At a time when the Election Commission of India is facing heat over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, the state’s poll panel has come under scrutiny following the victory in the ongoing panchayat polls of a candidate from Barmer whose nomination papers had been allegedly rejected during scrutiny.The candidate in question, Pooraram, not only remained on the ballot after being declared ineligible but also went on to win the sarpanch post. Barmer district administration has since ordered an inquiry into the incident reported from Gadra Road Gram Panchayat.The alleged irregularity surfaced Tuesday after a list of candidates whose nominations had been rejected went viral on social media.The nomination process for the sarpanch election in Gadra Road was conducted on Oct 23, and the list of rejected candidates was displayed publicly. The stated reason for the rejection of Pooraram’s nomination was incomplete information in Appendix 6D under Provision 18, which pertains to details about a candidate’s criminal history and record of convictions.Despite the rejection of his nomination being a matter of public record, Pooraram was duly allotted an election symbol and allowed to contest the election. He went on to secure 1,786 votes, defeating his nearest rival Kuldeep Singh by a margin of 187 votes.The victory has raised questions about how a candidate who should not have been on the ballot in the first place was allowed to contest the election and emerge victorious.Bharat Singh, brother and representative of Pooraram’s closest rival Kuldeep Singh, alleges that the list posted by election officials on a notice board clearly showed the disputed winner’s nomination as rejected.“Despite that, Pooraram was somehow granted permission to contest the polls by election officials, either deliberately or out of negligence,” Singh claimed, adding that he had filed a complaint with the district election officer calling for the result to be declared invalid.So far, it is not clear whether the initial rejection of Pooraram’s candidature came to be reversed later; if so, under what rules; and whether other candidates in the fray were informed of any change in his nomination status.For his part, Pooraram stands by the legitimacy of his candidature, dismissing claims about his nomination being rejected prior to the election as “rumours spread by political opponents”.“My nomination was never rejected,” Pooraram told TOI.“These allegations are misleading and aimed at discrediting my victory. The presiding officer on duty officially allotted me an election symbol, and I won with a clear majority. My election is completely lawful,” he said.Barmer district collector Chinmayee Gopal said an inquiry into the matter is ongoing.Sub-divisional officer Suresh Kumar said factual details were being sought from the returning officer to establish the circumstances under which Pooraram was allowed to contest despite the reported rejection of his nomination.Ineligible Yet Victorious?Despite that, he was duly allotted an election symbol and allowed to contest the elections in Barmer’s Gadra Road Gram PanchayatProbe ordered; details being sought from the returning officer to establish the circumstances that led to the irregularity
