The Congress suffered a major setback in the Madhya Pradesh Rajya Sabha election after the nomination of its candidate, Meenakshi Natarajan, was rejected during scrutiny by election authorities on Monday.
The rejection effectively bars the Congress from contesting the Rajya Sabha seat, as the deadline for filing nominations had already expired on June 8, leaving the party with no opportunity to field a replacement candidate.
The development came at a time when the Congress was busy safeguarding its MLAs from alleged poaching attempts ahead of the election. Party legislators, who were reportedly preparing to fly to Bengaluru, were called back after news of the nomination rejection emerged. Sources indicated that the chartered flight arranged for the legislators was recalled from the runway.
Why Was Meenakshi Natarajan’s Nomination Rejected?
The controversy revolves around allegations that Meenakshi Natarajan failed to disclose details of a pending case in her nomination affidavit.
The objection was raised by senior BJP leader and Madhya Pradesh minister Kailash Vijayvargiya. According to the complaint, a case involving Natarajan is pending before a court in Telangana and was not mentioned in her nomination documents.
Following scrutiny, election authorities accepted the objection and rejected her nomination papers.
Congress leaders, however, strongly disputed the allegations, arguing that no formal criminal case had been registered against Natarajan and that only a show-cause notice had been issued by the court.
Congress Alleges Political Conspiracy
Reacting to the decision, Meenakshi Natarajan accused the BJP of attempting to manipulate the Rajya Sabha election.
“It became evident that they were engaging in politics designed to trample upon the Constitution and democracy,” she said while addressing a press conference.
Natarajan alleged that the BJP’s decision to field a third candidate despite lacking the required numerical strength had triggered attempts to influence the election outcome through procedural tactics.
She further described the controversy as part of a larger political battle over democratic values and constitutional principles.
Congress Protests At Election Commission
Following the rejection, senior Congress leaders rushed to the Election Commission office seeking intervention.
A delegation led by K. C. Venugopal attempted to meet election officials and submit a memorandum challenging the Returning Officer’s decision.
The party claimed it had sought an appointment with Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. However, sources indicated that no formal appointment request had been made.
While the Election Commission accepted the Congress memorandum, it is expected to seek a report from the Returning Officer before taking any further decision. Officials may meet Congress representatives again on Tuesday.
Former Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel alleged that party leaders had to stage a protest merely to submit their memorandum to the poll body.
Kamal Nath, Congress Leaders Attack BJP
Former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath accused the BJP of trying to “snatch” the Rajya Sabha seat from the Congress.
According to him, the ruling party deliberately delayed permission for the flight carrying Congress MLAs and then challenged Meenakshi Natarajan’s nomination.
Congress state in-charge Harish Chaudhary also defended Natarajan, asserting that no police case had been registered against her and therefore there was no legal requirement to disclose the matter in her affidavit.
BJP Gains Advantage In Rajya Sabha Race
The rejection significantly improves the BJP’s prospects in the Madhya Pradesh Rajya Sabha election.
In the 230-member Madhya Pradesh Assembly, a candidate requires 58 votes to secure victory.
The BJP, with approximately 165 MLAs, already had sufficient numbers to comfortably elect its two official candidates — Tarun Chugh and Rajneesh Agarwal.
Its third candidate, Mahesh Kewat, was facing a tougher challenge due to the party’s limited surplus votes. However, with Congress now out of the contest, his path to the Upper House appears considerably smoother.
Congress Also Faces Trouble In Jharkhand
The Madhya Pradesh setback comes amid another challenge for Congress in Jharkhand.
Industrialist Parimal Nathwani has entered the Rajya Sabha race as an Independent candidate backed by the NDA, posing a challenge to the ruling alliance’s nominee.
Although the ruling coalition led by the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha has the numbers to secure victory, concerns over possible cross-voting remain.
Congress has reportedly challenged Nathwani’s nomination as well, with a decision from election authorities still awaited.
Major Blow To Congress’s Rajya Sabha Plans
The Rajya Sabha elections are being held for 24 seats, along with bypolls for three additional seats.
Congress was hoping to improve its tally through gains in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu while retaining opportunities in states such as Madhya Pradesh and Jharkhand. The rejection of Meenakshi Natarajan’s nomination has now dealt a significant blow to those calculations and handed the BJP a crucial advantage in Madhya Pradesh.