Jaipur, Oct 14 (IANS) Independent candidate Naresh Meena filed his nomination papers on Tuesday for the upcoming bye-election to the Anta Assembly seat in Rajasthan’s Baran district.

Accompanied by his wife, children, parents, and hundreds of supporters, Meena arrived at the SDM office in Anta at exactly 12.10 p.m.

He submitted his nomination to Returning Officer Hawa Singh. In a gesture of humility and symbolism, Meena and his entire family later prostrated before the public, saying, “Consider this as my prostration at the feet of the people of Anta — I seek your blessings.”

While making a sharp attack on former Minister Pramod Jain Bhaya, who has now been fielded as Congress candidate for Anta bypolls, Meena accused him of blatant corruption during his tenure. “The people of Anta gave Pramod Jain Bhaya power twice. When in power, he indulged openly in corruption. And when he lost, he didn’t protest or raise a single issue for the public. He failed both in governance and in opposition,” Meena charged.

Referring to his own activism, Meena said, “In 2023, I led a protest at the Collectorate for farmers’ rights. After that, not a single farmer had to queue up for fertiliser. But today, those problems have returned. Gravel is being illegally mined. Contractors are earning huge profits, yet the people of Anta are forced to buy gravel at high prices. I will crack down on this.”

He further added that he would stand with farmers struggling with fertiliser shortages, support price issues, water and electricity problems, and inadequate roads in rural areas.

Naresh Meena was born in 1979 in Naya village, Atru tehsil of Baran district. His father, Kalyan Singh, and mother have both served as village sarpanchs. His wife, Sunita Meena, is a former Zila Parishad member, and his brother’s wife has served on the Panchayat Samiti.

Meena’s nomination comes after Congress candidate Pramod Jain Bhaya filed his papers on October 13.

The BJP is yet to announce its candidate for the bye-election.

Naresh Meena, who was jailed for slapping the Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) during the 2024 Deoli-Uniyara bye-election, was released from Tonk jail on Monday after eight months in custody. While he had earlier secured bail in the slapping case, the Rajasthan High Court granted him bail on July 11 in the Samravata violence case, paving the way for his release.

The Election Commission has announced a bye-election for the Anta Assembly seat in Baran district. Polling will be held on November 11, with results to be declared on November 14. The seat was vacated following the resignation of Kanwarlal Meena, a supporter of former Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje.

–IANS

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