Patna: The Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) suffered a major blow in the Mohania Assembly constituency after its candidate, Shweta Suman, had her nomination cancelled over allegations of using a false caste certificate to avail reservation benefits.
Suman, who emerged from the returning officer’s chamber in tears, accused the government of conspiring to have her nomination rejected. “My nomination was cancelled under political pressure,” she said, visibly emotional.
The controversy began when the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) filed a complaint alleging that Suman, originally from Uttar Pradesh, had obtained a caste certificate in Bihar to contest from a reserved seat. Following the objection, the election officer summoned her for a hearing on Wednesday.
After reviewing the submissions, Returning Officer Aniruddh Pandey declared the RJD candidate’s nomination invalid, while accepting that of Geeta Devi, a Jan Suraaj Party candidate facing a similar allegation.
Suman accused the administration of double standards. “Both Geeta Devi and I were accused of the same thing — that we are originally from Uttar Pradesh. Yet her nomination was accepted, and mine was rejected. This shows the government’s bias,” she told reporters outside the office.
