Chandigarh (Gurpreet Singh): The Rajya Sabha election in Chandigarh took an unexpected turn on Tuesday when all nominations, except that of Aam Aadmi Party’s (AAP) Rajinder Gupta, were disqualified during scrutiny — a process marred by intense political tension, allegations of fraud, and a jurisdictional tussle between two state police forces.
The centre of the storm was independent candidate Navneet Chaturvedi, who now finds himself facing serious allegations of document forgery. His nomination papers reportedly listed several AAP MLAs as proposers, but party legislators claim their signatures were falsified without consent. As scrutiny at the Vidhan Sabha secretariat concluded, Chaturvedi’s candidacy was officially rejected.
Soon after, high drama unfolded near Chandigarh’s Sukhna Lake. Punjab’s Ropar Police, attempting to apprehend Chaturvedi on charges of forgery and criminal conspiracy, intercepted a vehicle transporting him — under the protection of Chandigarh Police. The situation quickly escalated into a jurisdictional face-off, prompting senior officials, including Chandigarh SSP Kanwardeep Kaur, to intervene. Chaturvedi was eventually taken to Sector 9 Police Headquarters for safety, further intensifying the standoff.
Meanwhile, AAP’s Rajinder Gupta — an industrialist — now stands as the sole valid candidate for the Upper House seat. His wife, Madhu Gupta, who had also filed papers, is expected to withdraw her nomination soon, paving the way for an uncontested election.
AAP Accuses Political Foul Play
The episode has sparked a political firestorm. Several AAP MLAs — including Dinesh Chadha, Raneesh Dahiya, Devinderjeet Singh Laddi, Fauja Singh Sarari, and Ashok Parashar — reached the assembly premises to formally challenge Chaturvedi’s claims. They alleged he had used their names and signatures fraudulently to support his candidacy. Two other legislators, Kunwar Vijay Pratap Singh and Gurdev Singh Mann, submitted written statements disassociating themselves from Chaturvedi.
The lawmakers insisted that the signatures submitted did not match theirs and that Chaturvedi was unable to even recognize them in person. “It’s clearly a case of forgery, possibly orchestrated to manipulate the Rajya Sabha election,” said MLA Raneesh Dahiya.
AAP Punjab president Aman Arora accused the BJP of attempting to “sabotage the democratic process,” alleging that the Chandigarh Police shielded Chaturvedi on directions from the Centre. “Instead of arresting someone accused of a serious crime, the police gave him VIP treatment in an official vehicle. This shows how institutions are being misused,” Arora said.
Another AAP MLA, Manjit Singh Bilasur from Nihal Singh Wala, also lodged a separate complaint, stating that his signature had been forged and that he had never heard of Chaturvedi before the incident.
Chaturvedi Vows Legal Battle
In response to the rejection of his nomination, Chaturvedi claimed he was being framed. He insisted that the signature sheet was given to him by a “source” and called the entire process a “farce.” He demanded a forensic review of the documents — a request allegedly turned down by the Returning Officer.
“I will challenge this in court,” he said, adding that the FIRs filed against him were unlawful. “The proper jurisdiction for this issue was the assembly secretariat, yet multiple complaints have been registered across different districts. That raises serious questions.”
Chaturvedi, who hails from Jaipur and claims to lead the Janata Party, initially submitted his nomination on October 6 with a list of 10 AAP legislators — but without actual signatures. He later filed a revised nomination on October 13, this time with purported signatures, which have now come under suspicion.
As the dust settles, it appears that Rajinder Gupta will secure the Rajya Sabha seat unopposed, marking a quiet end to a day of high-stakes drama in what was otherwise expected to be a routine election.
