With Rajya Sabha polling days away, the Congress has mounted a legal and political challenge against the rejection of Meenakshi Natarajan’s nomination papers in Madhya Pradesh.
Congress leader Meenakshi Natarajan and MP Congress chief Jitu Patwari speak to reporters in Bhopal after her Rajya Sabha nomination papers were rejected ahead of the June 18 elections. | IANS
The Congress on Wednesday decided to take its battle over the rejection of Rajya Sabha candidate Meenakshi Natarajan’s nomination papers to the Election Commission, with a delegation of senior leaders scheduled to meet Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar in New Delhi.
The controversy comes just days before polling for the Rajya Sabha biennial elections on June 18 and has triggered a fresh political confrontation in Madhya Pradesh, with the Congress alleging political interference and the BJP insisting that procedural lapses by the opposition party led to the rejection.
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A ten-member Congress delegation comprising KC Venugopal, Randeep Surjewala, Jairam Ramesh, Deepa Dasmunsi, Vivek Tankha, Sachin Pilot, Bhupesh Baghel, Omar Hoda, Meenakshi Natarajan, and Muhammad Ali Khan is slated to meet the Chief Election Commissioner at noon.
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The row erupted after election authorities rejected Natarajan’s nomination papers on Tuesday, citing irregularities in her affidavit.
Speaking at a press conference, Natarajan accused the BJP of attempting to influence the outcome of the Rajya Sabha election and linked the episode to what she described as a larger attack on democratic institutions.
“It all began when the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party fielded a third candidate despite lacking the requisite numerical strength. It became evident that they were engaging in politics designed to trample upon the Constitution and democracy. They are clearly attempting to manipulate the Rajya Sabha election just as they previously subverted elections in Madhya Pradesh,” she alleged.
She further argued that the issue was larger than a single election contest.
“This is not merely about a Rajya Sabha seat or a specific candidate; it is about the broader struggle for the ‘Idea of India’ and democracy that our leader Rahul Gandhi is waging,” Natarajan said.
Madhya Pradesh Congress president Jitu Patwari also questioned the circumstances surrounding the rejection and said the party would challenge the decision.
“The Congress party will fight this with all its might,” Patwari said, alleging that legal objections raised by the party had not been adequately considered and describing the development as politically motivated.
Congress general secretary KC Venugopal termed the rejection a “blatant attempt” to undermine the democratic process, while senior leader Jairam Ramesh led efforts to take the matter before the Election Commission.
Responding to the charges, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav said the Congress was trying to shift responsibility for mistakes made in its own nomination papers.
“Regarding the rejection of a Congress candidate’s nomination, it seems Congress itself, out of fear of losing, made errors in the form. Many within Congress were eyeing that seat. It’s a matter of basic negligence; if one can’t even fill out a form correctly after being in politics for years, it’s their internal failure,” Yadav told reporters in Bhopal.
The chief minister dismissed allegations against the BJP and the Election Commission and said the opposition’s claims were an attempt to cover up its own shortcomings.
Yadav also used the occasion to highlight the BJP’s organisational strength and expressed confidence about the party’s future electoral prospects in the state.
The Election Commission has indicated that it will meet the Congress delegation on Wednesday to hear its concerns regarding the rejection of Natarajan’s nomination.
Polling for the Rajya Sabha biennial elections is scheduled to take place on June 18.
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