The returning officer (RO) for the biennial Rajya Sabha elections in Jharkhand on Wednesday declared the nomination of NDA-backed independent candidate Parimal Nathwani valid. This ended a two-day political uncertainty over alleged discrepancies as pointed out by the Congress in his nomination papers. Rejecting objections raised by Congress nominee Pranav Jha’s proposer and Kolebira MLA Naman Bixal Kongari, returning officer (RO) Ranjeet Kumar said no evidence had been presented to establish that Nathwani was disqualified under the Constitution of India or the Representation of the People Act.

The controversy surfaced during scrutiny of nomination papers on June 9, when Kongari objected to Nathwani’s candidature, pointing out inconsistencies in the way his name appeared in different documents. While some records mentioned him as “Parimal Nathwani”, others carried the name “Nathwani Parimal”. Congress also alleged that Nathwani had failed to disclose complete details regarding his family and dependents in his election affidavit.

Following the objections, the RO issued a notice seeking a point-wise response from Nathwani, who submitted his reply the same day. The matter was then scheduled for a detailed hearing on June 10. The hearing drew significant attention, as senior Congress leaders, including AICC in-charge K. Raju was present at the Jharkhand legislative assembly.