Chandigarh, Dec. 1 -- Punjab Congress president Amarinder Singh Raja Warring on Monday raised serious concerns over what he described as a "deliberate and systematic denial" of mandatory No Objection Certificates (NOCs) to candidates contesting the upcoming Zila Parishad and Block Parishad elections scheduled for December 14.

Warring alleged that candidates across multiple districts in Punjab are unable to file their nomination papers because officials responsible for issuing NOCs are "missing" from duty. He said the situation has triggered widespread distress among aspirants, many of whom have been making frantic calls to party offices, reporting that designated officers are "unreachable or unavailable" despite the nomination deadline d...