ECI Rejects Congress Ramtek LS Nominee's Caste Certificate

Jolting the Congress, the Election Commission has rejected the caste certificate of the party nominee in the reserved Ramtek (SC) Lok Sabha constituency, Rashmi S. Barve, here on Thursday.

The validity of the caste certificate came up during the scrutiny of Barve’s nomination papers -- filed earlier this week -- taken up on Thursday by the poll authorities.

The development has raised an embarrassing question mark on her candidature for Ramtek (SC) parliamentary constituency, and Barve’s team rushed to move the Bombay High Court (Nagpur Bench) for urgent relief.

However, Congress leaders in Mumbai and Nagpur declined to comment on the matter, or indicate whether the party leadership would change its candidate.

The MahaYuti has fielded a ruling Shiv Sena candidate Raju Parwe to lock horns with Barve, though the ally Bharatiya Janata Party was also keen to contest the same seat.