Rajya Sabha nominee Meenakshi Natarajan's nomination rejected (Img: Internet)
New Delhi: The Congress suffered a major setback on Tuesday after the nomination of its Rajya Sabha candidate Meenakshi Natarajan from Madhya Pradesh was rejected by the Returning Officer.
Officials stated that the nomination was cancelled over allegations that information related to a pending case was not disclosed in the affidavit submitted with the nomination papers.
The controversy began after BJP candidate Mahesh Kewat filed an objection before the Returning Officer. According to Kewat’s legal representative, a criminal case against Natarajan is pending in a Telangana court and details of the matter were allegedly omitted from the affidavit.
The BJP claimed the concealment violated Supreme Court guidelines that require candidates to disclose pending criminal cases during elections.
Congress leaders strongly opposed the rejection and defended Natarajan’s nomination. Party leader Harish Chaudhary argued that no formal criminal case had been filed against the Congress candidate and that she had only received a show-cause notice from the court.
Ashok Gehlot Reopens Debate on 2022 Congress President Poll, Claims ‘Conspiracy’ Behind His Exit
He claimed Election Commission rules require disclosure only when a case has formally been registered, not when notices are issued. Congress leaders also accused the BJP of using technicalities to politically target opposition candidates ahead of the Rajya Sabha polls.
The development comes amid intense political activity in Madhya Pradesh ahead of the June 18 Rajya Sabha elections. Earlier in the day, Congress shifted its MLAs to Karnataka, alleging attempts by the BJP to poach legislators and influence voting.
The BJP currently enjoys a numerical advantage in the 229-member Assembly and is expected to comfortably win two of the three Rajya Sabha seats. However, the battle for the third seat has turned into a prestige contest between the ruling BJP and the Congress.
