Tej Bahadur’s papers rejected; SP retains Shalini Yadav

Varanasi: The nomination papers of dismissed BSF jawan Tej Bahadur Yadav has been rejected by the returning officer for Varanasi Lok Sabha constituency following his failure to submit a certificate that ‘he was not sacked for either corruption or disloyalty’. After Yadav’s paper was rejected, 31 candidates were in the fray for the seat, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

“Shri Tej Bahadur has stated that he has been dismissed from government service on April 19, 2017. Five years has not elapsed and his nomination paper is neither accompanied by a certificate issued in the prescribed manner to the effect that he has not been dismissed for corruption or disloyalty to the state, nor he has been able to produce any such certificate by 11 am of May 1, 2019.

Therefore, the nomination paper… is hereby rejected,” returning officer Surendra Singh said in a statement.


Tej Bahadur first made headlines in 2016, after he uploaded a video on the poor quality of food served to soldiers in mountainous regions.

Subsequently he was dismissed from BSF and after he made his intentions clear to contest against Modi, the Samajwadi Party backed him in place of its first choice, Shalini Yadav.

However, on Tuesday, the returning officer asked him to submit a certificate required under elections laws as those dismissed from government service for corruption or for being disloyal are banned from contesting polls for five years.