The Supreme Court declined to stop the ongoing Rajya Sabha election process in Madhya Pradesh
June 11, 2026: The Supreme Court on Thursday refused to stay the ongoing Rajya Sabha election process in Madhya Pradesh while agreeing to hear a petition filed by Congress leader Meenakshi Natarajan on Friday. A bench of Justices Prashant Kumar Mishra and Atul S Chandurkar declined to pass any interim order preventing the declaration of results, citing established legal principles that discourage judicial interference once the electoral process has begun. Senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, appearing for Natarajan, argued that her nomination was wrongly rejected despite no court having taken cognisance of the proceedings cited against her.
The Congress expressed concern that with the withdrawal deadline ending on Thursday, BJP candidates could be elected unopposed following Natarajan’s disqualification. Singhvi contended that the issue involved the interpretation of disclosure requirements under election law and sought temporary protection from the court. However, the bench observed that the precedent set in the Election Commission of India vs Ashok Kumar case limits court intervention during active elections. The Election Commission and BJP representatives also questioned the maintainability of the plea.
Natarajan’s nomination was rejected after BJP leaders objected to her election affidavit, alleging she failed to disclose proceedings before a Hyderabad court. The Returning Officer accepted the objection, stating that she had omitted details of a court notice issued in 2025. Congress leaders have maintained that no criminal case was pending against her, arguing that the matter had not reached the stage of cognisance and therefore did not require disclosure. The party has approached both the Election Commission and the Supreme Court, challenging the decision and seeking restoration of her candidature.