The political controversy deepened on Tuesday after the nomination of Congress’ Rajya Sabha candidate from Madhya Pradesh, Meenakshi Natarajan, was cancelled. In protest against this decision, many senior Congress leaders reached the Election Commission (ECI) office in New Delhi and protested. Congress leaders called it an attack on democracy and accused the BJP of a political conspiracy.
Congress General Secretaries Jairam Ramesh, KC Venugopal, Bhupesh Baghel and Sachin Pilot reached the Election Commission office. During this time, pictures of Jairam Ramesh being stopped from entering the Commission office premises also came to light. Before going to the Commission, Congress General Secretary (Organization) KC Venugopal strongly criticized the decision, saying, ‘Democracy has been murdered.’ He alleged that BJP is destroying the democratic process.
Congress alleged that BJP has now moved beyond vote theft to seat theft. Congress leaders accused BJP of stealing the Rajya Sabha seat in Madhya Pradesh. Congress leaders met senior officials of the Election Commission and tried to present their objections and demands. Congress had requested the Commission to give the meeting time at 9 pm.
Congress will go to ECI again tomorrow
According to Commission sources, the letter sent by Congress was received at 7:34 pm on Tuesday evening. In the letter, Congress had sought time to meet the Election Commission officials. But no senior officer of the Commission was present in the office. The Election Commission allowed two Congress leaders to enter. After this, KC Venugopal and Bhupesh Baghel went to the Commission’s office and submitted the memorandum at the reception. The Election Commission has given time to the Congress delegation to meet tomorrow at 12 noon.
Congress arrived without prior notice
Highly placed sources in the Commission said that if there was prior information, the higher officials or the Chief Election Commissioner and the other two commissioners would have been present in the office to meet the Congress leaders. The mobile numbers of the Chief Election Commissioner and other high officials of the Election Commission are also available in the offices of political parties and leaders. This problem arose due to the sudden arrival of Congress leaders at the Commission’s office without prior notice. Most of the top officials in the Commission had left between 7 and 7:15 pm. Let us tell you that Congress had made Meenakshi Natarajan the Rajya Sabha candidate from Madhya Pradesh. But due to irregularities in the election affidavit, his nomination was canceled on Tuesday evening.
How did the controversy start?
The controversy started when Rajya Sabha elections The returning officer rejected the nomination of Meenakshi Natarajan. According to an official of the Madhya Pradesh Assembly, the nomination was canceled on the grounds that the Congress candidate had allegedly hidden information about a legal matter in his election affidavit. This objection was lodged by Mahesh Kewat, BJP candidate from the third Rajya Sabha seat of Madhya Pradesh.
Mahesh Kewat’s lawyer Sanket Gupta had alleged that information about a criminal case pending against Meenakshi Natarajan in a Telangana court was not given in her election affidavit, making her affidavit incomplete. On the other hand, Congress has rejected these allegations and said that there is no criminal case registered against Meenakshi Natarajan and she had only received a notice from the court.
Congress alleged that the BJP first tried to influence the Congress MLAs and when it was not successful, the path of canceling the nominations was adopted. KC Venugopal said that Congress will challenge this decision at both legal and political levels. The party alleges that this step is an attempt to weaken the democratic process and suppress the voice of the opposition.
At the same time, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav welcomed the decision of cancellation of nomination. He said, ‘The Congress candidate had hidden information related to his criminal case, whereas it should have been disclosed. Congress hid the facts. I welcome the decision that has been taken after the investigation. Now Congress should introspect. They were already scared.
BJP’s victory on all three seats is certain!
Elections for three Rajya Sabha seats in Madhya Pradesh are to be held on June 18. BJP has 164 MLAs in the 230-member Madhya Pradesh Assembly. Based on these numbers, BJP was in a position to easily win two Rajya Sabha seats and it was also left with 48 additional votes. However, to win the third seat it needed cross voting or support from other parties. Whereas Congress has 63 MLAs, but two MLAs – Rajendra Bharti and Mukesh Malhotra are not eligible to vote in the Rajya Sabha elections.
In such a situation, the effective number of Congress remains 61. For this reason, the election for the third Rajya Sabha seat was considered very important politically. However, after the cancellation of Meenakshi Natarajan’s nomination, the way has almost been cleared for BJP candidate Mahesh Kevat to be elected unopposed on the third Rajya Sabha seat of Madhya Pradesh.
What is the case against Meenakshi Natarajan?
According to court documents, this case is related to a complaint filed in 2025. On August 20, 2025, A. A woman named Srilatha had filed a complaint against Meenakshi Natarajan (accused no. 4) and others in the Metropolitan Magistrate Court of Hyderabad. On this basis, Meenakshi Natarajan and others were charged under various sections 356, 61, 45, 46, 351(2), 3(5) and 79 of the Indian Code of Justice (BNS).
The court issued notice to Meenakshi Natarajan on September 17, 2025, directing her to appear in person and file the reply. On behalf of Meenakshi Natarajan, her lawyer filed a counter affidavit on October 24, 2025. In this, Meenakshi Natarajan declared herself innocent and called the allegations against her motivated by political vendetta and demanded dismissal of the case.
The court decided to start the hearing on November 17, 2025 instead of dismissing the case. This matter is still under consideration. Meenakshi Natarajan had not given information about this case in the affidavit at the time of nomination. On this basis, the Returning Officer canceled the nomination of Meenakshi Natarajan for violating relevant sections of the Representation of the People Act, 1951.
Congress’ entire preparations were put on hold
Congress had tried its best to win the third Rajya Sabha seat in Madhya Pradesh. To avoid poaching, the party had planned to send its MLAs to Karnataka by chartered plane. However, after the nomination of Meenakshi Natarajan was canceled, the special plane carrying Congress MLAs to Karnataka was stopped on the runway. Congress asked its MLAs to return to Bhopal.
Senior Supreme Court lawyer and Congress Rajya Sabha MP Vivek Tankha has also reacted to the cancellation of Meenakshi Natarajan’s nomination. He wrote on social media platform X, ‘Confusion is being spread about the nomination of Meenakshi Natarajan. No criminal case is registered. Only a notice has come asking why compensation action of Rs 10 crore should not be taken against him and others? To which notice Meenakshi’s lawyer has replied. No FIR has been registered against him.
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