Tension in Saundatti after rumours spread about rejection of BJP candidate’s nomination

Tension prevailed in Saundatti in Belagavi district on Saturday morning, after a huge crowd gathered in front of the tahasildar office following heated discussions between Congress and BJP followers.

Tension prevailed in Saundatti in Belagavi district on Saturday morning, after a huge crowd gathered in front of the tahasildar office following heated discussions between Congress and BJP followers. Police had to push out the youth who were trying to force entry into the election returning office.

The followers were alarmed by rumours that the Returning Officer had rejected the nomination of BJP candidate Rathna Mamani after an inquiry into a complaint filed by Opposition candidates .

On Saturday, candidates Bapugouda Patil of the AAP and Vishwas Vaidya of the Congress submitted written complaints that the BJP candidate had filed two wrong documents. One complaint was about the affidavit, which they said was not fresh and two, about the legal validity of her marriage with Vishwanath Mamani, former MLA and BJP leader, who passed away six months ago.

The complainants contended that Vishwanath Mamani had married Rathna Mamani without divorcing a wife who was still alive. This, they said, proved that she was lying in her affidavit that she was the spouse of Mr. Mamani. They also argued that Ms. Rathna had submitted fudged documents supporting her nomination papers, which were nothing but facsimile copies of the affidavits filed by Vishwanath Mamani for the 2018 elections.

Other objections were that the affidavit was not in the revised format and that the RO staff had accepted some of her documents beyond the deadline of 3 p.m. on April 20, as well as that she had not submitted details of some government dues. The AAP candidate has also sought action against the RO.

Police officers said messages posted by some miscreants on social media, that the RO had rejected the nomination papers of the Ms. Rathna, led to the confusion.