Congress's Meenakshi Natarajan's Rajya Sabha nomination cancelled, party protests

Congress Rajya Sabha nominee Meenakshi Natarajan's nomination from Madhya Pradesh was rejected on Monday after election authorities found that information related to a case had allegedly been concealed in the affidavit submitted with her nomination papers.

The development came after Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders lodged a formal objection before the Returning Officer, seeking cancellation of Natarajan's candidature. The BJP alleged that the Congress leader had failed to disclose details of a pending court case in Telangana in her election affidavit, a mandatory document that candidates are required to submit while filing nominations.

The party argued that the omission amounted to suppression of material information and warranted rejection of her nomination.

A Congress delegation led by KC Venugopal met Election Commission officials on Tuesday to raise objections over the cancellation of Meenakshi Natarajan's Rajya Sabha nomination. The meeting followed a brief protest outside Nirvachan Sadan, where Congress leaders staged a sit-in after being denied an immediate hearing. Initially, they were denied entry as the ECI officials cited officials having left for their home as it was already 7 PM.

Following discussions with police, Venugopal and Bhupesh Baghel were allowed to enter the Commission's headquarters.

The Election Commission of India is likely to meet a Congress delegation at 12 pm on Wednesday to discuss concerns surrounding the cancellation of Meenakshi Natarajan's Rajya Sabha nomination from Madhya Pradesh.

The Congress strongly contested the objection and termed it baseless. Leader of Opposition Umang Singhar and other party leaders maintained that Natarajan does not face any criminal case and therefore had no requirement to disclose the matter cited by the BJP.

"BJP Scared of a Gandhian Woman! The true face of the BJP, panicked by the Congress's victory and the rising acceptability of an honest female candidate, was exposed today in the Madhya Pradesh Assembly," tweeted Singhar.

'CONFUSION IS BEING SPREAD'

According to the Congress, the Telangana matter relates only to a court notice and not to a formally registered criminal case. The party argued that Election Commission guidelines require candidates to disclose criminal cases that have been officially registered and are pending before courts, not routine legal notices.

"Confusion is being spread regarding Meenakshi Natarajan's nomination. No criminal case has been registered. Only a notice has been received stating why proceedings for 10 crore compensation should not be initiated against her and other people. Meenakshi ji's lawyer has responded to this notice. No FIR has been filed," tweeted Vivek Tankha, Member of Rajya Sabha for Congress.

MADHYA PRADESH RAJYA SABHA ELECTIONS

Voting for three Rajya Sabha seats in Madhya Pradesh is scheduled to take place on June 18. In the 230-member Assembly, the BJP has 164 MLAs, enough to comfortably secure two seats while still retaining 48 surplus votes. To win the third seat, however, the party would have needed cross-voting or support from other parties.

The Congress has 63 MLAs, but two legislators, Rajendra Bharti and Mukesh Malhotra, are not eligible to vote in the Rajya Sabha election, reducing its effective strength to 61. As a result, the contest for the third seat had emerged as a politically significant battle.

The Madhya Pradesh Congress had on Tuesday alleged attempts by the BJP to poach its legislators and planned to shift its MLAs to Congress-ruled Karnataka to prevent cross-voting ahead of the Rajya Sabha elections. However, after the rejection of Meenakshi Natarajan's nomination, the party's strategy changed. A special flight arranged to transport the MLAs was stopped before departure, and the legislators were subsequently called back as the Rajya Sabha contest effectively tilted in the BJP's favour.

THE MEENAKSHI NATARAJAN AFFIDAVIT ROW

According to a BJP statement, the controversy stems from a complaint filed in 2025. On August 20, 2025, a woman identified as A. Srilata approached a Metropolitan Magistrate's Court in Hyderabad, naming Meenakshi Natarajan as accused number four along with several others. The complaint invoked multiple provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including Sections 356, 61, 45, 46, 351(2), 3(5) and 79.

Taking cognisance of the complaint, the court had issued a notice to Natarajan on September 17, 2025, directing her to appear and submit a response. Her lawyer later filed a counter-affidavit on October 24, denying all allegations and claiming the complaint was politically motivated. The defence also sought dismissal of the case.

However, on November 17, 2025, the court declined to dismiss the matter and decided to proceed with hearings. The case remains pending before the court.

Election authorities found that Natarajan had not disclosed details of the pending case in the affidavit submitted with her nomination papers. Citing non-compliance with provisions of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, the Returning Officer rejected her nomination, significantly altering the equation for the Rajya Sabha election in the state.

CONGRESS PROTESTS OUTSIDE ELECTION COMMISSION OFFICE

A Congress delegation led by party general secretary KC Venugopal has now met the officials of the Election Commission of India at Nirvachan Sadan. The delegation is expected to raise concerns over the cancellation and seek the poll body's intervention in the matter.

High drama unfolded outside the Election Commission of India headquarters as Congress leaders staged a sit-in protest at the entrance after being denied an immediate meeting with poll officials.

Police personnel informed the protesters that prohibitory orders under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) were in force in central Delhi and asked them to vacate the area. Following discussions between the police and Congress leaders, the authorities allowed Congress general secretary KC Venugopal and senior leader Bhupesh Baghel to enter the Election Commission premises.