What political compulsion led to Puri’s nomination from Madhya Pradesh, asks State Congress unit on RS bypoll

Bhopal The Madhya Pradesh unit of Congress on Friday (October 30, 2026) slammed the nomination of Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri as the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate for the Rajya Sabha by-election in the State, seeking a “clear answer” on Mr. Puri’s meetings and communications with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein as referenced in the files released in the United States. https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/madhya-pradesh/bjp-names-hardeep-singh-puri-as-candidate-for-mp-rajya-sabha-bypoll/article71635040.ece At a press conference in Bhopal, M.P. Congress president Jitu Patwari said: “What were the actual circumstances of these meetings? Did they occur solely as part of an official delegation — as previously claimed — or do the circumstances depicted in photographs suggest a different story? The BJP and Mr. Puri must provide a factual response to these questions.” Party to protest Mr. Patwari announced that the party will stage protests at the district and block levels against the nomination. Mr.