Lok Sabha Elections: Comedian Shyam Rangeela filed his papers as an independent candidate from the Varanasi Lok Sabha constituency, but the Election Commission rejected his candidacy on Wednesday.
According to Rangeela, he was “unaware” of the Varanasi district magistrate’s notification that his candidacy was declined due to his “inability to take the oath.
It is now evident that I will not be permitted to run for office from Varanasi. Rangeela wrote on ‘X’ after the incident, saying, The spirit is not broken, but the heart is broken.
His words referred to his previous charges against the election board, in which he claimed that he was denied the right to register his nomination from the Uttar Pradesh seat, where Prime Minister Narendra Modi is the top candidate. Varanasi will go to the polls in the last phase of elections on June 1. Candidates were allowed until May 14 to file nominations for phase seven seats.
Comedian Shyam Rangeela had earlier claimed that EC was discriminatory
Rangeela, who became an internet phenomenon in 2017 for his viral imitation of Modi, alleged that the authorities only accept candidates that they want to.
Over the last several days, he originally claimed that his nomination was being thwarted, citing a “lack” of sufficient nominators, a criteria that Rangeela said he met.
He submitted his nomination for the seat just hours before the deadline expired. Having finished all paperwork, and procedures, and surmounted various obstacles, we’re now poised to be a choice for the people of Varanasi, he stated.
The political career of Shyam Rangeela
After my nomination was rejected, I extend my gratitude for all your cooperation. I kindly request the media and supporters to refrain from contacting me at this time. I’ll continue to share any updates here on ‘X.’ Frankly, I don’t feel like engaging in conversation for the time being, the comedian commented. -Lok Sabha Elections
Just to clarify, this isn’t Rangeela’s first foray into the Lok Sabha election. In 2022, he aligned with the Aam Aadmi Party led by Arvind Kejriwal. Reflecting on his political venture, Rangeela has previously stated that the escalating intolerance towards satire and mimicry” of politicians over the past decade influenced his decision to enter the arena.
Also Read: Nirmala Sitharaman
On the Election Commission’s website, it is stated that the poll authority has approved 17 nominations in total for the Varanasi constituency.