Comedian Shyam Rangeela’s bid to contest from the Varanasi Lok Sabha seat has been thwarted as his nomination was rejected by the Election Commission of India. Rangeela, known for his mimicry of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, had announced his intention to contest against PM Modi in Varanasi earlier this month.
Shyam Rangeela, 29, filed his nomination as an Independent candidate on May 14 and shared a video on social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter. Despite his efforts, the Election Commission’s website indicated the rejection of his nomination the following day.
Here’s what Shyam Rangeela said:
वाराणसी से नहीं लड़ने देंगे ये तय था, अब साफ़ हो गया
दिल ज़रूर टूट गया है, हौंसला नहीं टूटा है ।
आप सबके सहयोग के लिए शुक्रिया ।
मीडिया और शुभचिंतकों से निवेदन है कृपया अभी कॉल ना करें, जो भी सूचना होगी यहाँ देता रहूँगा, शायद अब थोड़ी देर बातचीत करने की इच्छा नहीं है pic.twitter.com/aB6AZqLGqv— Shyam Rangeela (@ShyamRangeela) May 15, 2024
Prior to filing, Shyam Rangeela had voiced concerns about facing obstacles. On May 13, he tweeted about difficulties in submitting his nomination form despite having the necessary proposers and completed paperwork, mentioning that no one was willing to accept his form. He pledged to try again the next day.
On May 14, Shyam Rangeela reported that officials were unresponsive to his calls, preventing him from filing his nomination. Later that day, he confirmed that he had successfully submitted his nomination papers, complying with all required regulations. Despite this, the poll panel rejected his nomination.
Varanasi, a high-profile constituency in Uttar Pradesh, is set to vote in the seventh and final phase of the Lok Sabha elections on June 1, with vote counting scheduled for June 4.
Shyam Rangeela underscored that his candidacy is a genuine effort to protect democracy, rather than a symbolic gesture. In an interview with The Indian Express, he asserted, “We are here to ensure that democracy is not threatened, offering people a real choice to exercise their right to vote… unlike what we’ve seen in Surat or Indore.”
