Under what rules did EC reject Shyam Rangeela’s nomination?

The Returning Officer (RO) for the Varanasi Lok Sabha constituency on Wednesday rejected comedian Shyam Rangeela’s nomination on the grounds that it was “incomplete”.

Varanasi, from where Prime Minister Narendra Modi is seeking a third term, goes to polls in the last phase of the Lok Sabha elections on June 1. Rangeela, who was once seen as a staunch supporter of the PM and has made his name mimicking Modi, had this time announced that he would contest against him as an Independent. After his nomination was rejected, he alleged that the right of citizens to contest polls had been snatched, and that while he did not hope to win, he wanted to send out a message.

Rangeela claimed that the RO had accepted his nomination before the 3 pm deadline on Tuesday, the last day of filing nominations for Phase 7. However, on Wednesday, the day designated for scrutiny of the nominations, he was told that his nomination had been rejected as he did not take oath, as mandated by the Constitution.

Responding to Rangeela’s post on X Wednesday about this, Varanasi District Magistrate and RO S Rajalingam said the nomination papers had been scrutinised in Rangeela’s presence and the latter informed of 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,” the DM said.

As per Article 84 of the Constitution, a citizen who wishes to contest elections must take an oath in the presence of a person authorised by the Election Commission (EC), to bear “true faith and allegiance to the Constitution of India as by law established, and uphold the sovereignty and integrity of India”.

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