Meenakshi Natarajan RS nomination rejected: BJP denies role, Congress cries foul
Synopsis
The rejection of Congress leader Meenakshi Natarajan's Rajya Sabha nomination — on the ground of an affidavit irregularity tied to a Hyderabad court notice that hadn't even reached the stage of cognisance — has set off a full-scale political confrontation. With Congress calling it a 'murder of democracy' and BJP pointing fingers back at the Congress's own house, the Election Commission is now the deciding arena.
Key Takeaways
The Returning Officer of the Madhya Pradesh Legislative Assembly rejected Meenakshi Natarajan's Rajya Sabha nomination on Tuesday, 10 June , citing affidavit irregularities linked to a Hyderabad court case.
MP BJP President Hemant Khandelwal denied any BJP involvement, questioning who supplied documents from Telangana where the BJP is not in power.
A 10-member Congress delegation led by Abhishek Manu Singhvi met the Election Commission of India in New Delhi on Wednesday, calling the rejection 'incorrect and not in accordance with the law.' Singhvi argued that the Hyderabad court had only issued a notice and had not taken cognisance, meaning there was no criminal case for Natarajan to disclose.
Congress workers held protests across Madhya Pradesh , including a sit-in outside the EC office in Bhopal and demonstrations at district and assembly levels statewide.
Congress leader Meenakshi Natarajan's Rajya Sabha nomination was rejected by the Returning Officer (RO) of the Madhya Pradesh Legislative Assembly on Tuesday, 10 June, citing irregularities in her affidavit related to a case before a Hyderabad court. The move has triggered a sharp political confrontation, with the Congress calling it a 'murder of democracy' and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) denying any involvement.
BJP Denies Any Role
Madhya Pradesh BJP President Hemant Khandelwal on Wednesday pushed back against Congress allegations, saying the party had no hand in the nomination's rejection. 'If there is a lack of consensus or internal conflict within the Congress, what can the BJP do about it? The BJP is not in power in Telangana; who provided the documents from there? Now you claim the BJP did something wrong... we did nothing wrong,' Khandelwal told reporters in Bhopal. His remarks were a pointed suggestion that the Congress look inward before levelling accusations.
Congress Delegation Meets Election Commission
A 10-member Congress delegation met the Election Commission of India (ECI) in New Delhi on Wednesday to contest the rejection. The team was led by Congress MP Abhishek Manu Singhvi and included senior leaders KC Venugopal, Jairam Ramesh, Randeep Surjewala, Sachin Pilot, Bhupesh Baghel, and Vivek Tankha.
'The Returning Officer's decision to cancel Meenakshi Natarajan's nomination is incorrect and not in accordance with the law. There is no legal provision supporting the grounds on which the nomination was cancelled,' Singhvi said after the meeting.
The Legal Argument
Singhvi argued that Natarajan had no criminal case requiring disclosure in her affidavit. 'Natarajan did not face any criminal case that required disclosure; the court had merely issued a notice asking whether further proceedings should commence in the matter,' he explained. He contended that even the threshold of 'cognisance' had not been reached, making the rejection legally untenable. 'The EC has the power to deliver justice and rectify wrongs,' he said, calling for the order to be set aside immediately.
Umang Singhar, Leader of the Opposition in the Madhya Pradesh Assembly, said the ECI had assured the delegation that a decision would be taken within two hours of the meeting.
Protests Across Madhya Pradesh
Congress workers staged demonstrations across Madhya Pradesh on Wednesday in response to the rejection. In Bhopal, workers marched to the Chief Electoral Officer's office, found the gates shut, and symbolically hung a Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) uniform on the gate. State Congress leaders held a continuous sit-in outside the Election Commission office in Bhopal, while party workers staged protests at block, district, and assembly levels across the state.
What Happens Next
The ECI's response to the Congress representation is now the key variable. If the commission upholds the RO's order, the Congress is widely expected to pursue legal remedies. The controversy has also renewed scrutiny over the documentary requirements for Rajya Sabha nominations and the role that state-level officials play in vetting candidate affidavits.
Point of View
And it is that trail, not the legal technicality alone, that will define the political fallout. If the EC upholds the rejection, the Congress will have lost a seat through a paperwork dispute; if it overturns the order, the question of how the documents reached the RO will remain live. Either way, the episode exposes how nomination scrutiny at the state level can become a pressure point in a closely contested upper-house seat.
NationPress
26 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why was Meenakshi Natarajan's Rajya Sabha nomination rejected?
The Returning Officer of the Madhya Pradesh Legislative Assembly rejected Natarajan's nomination citing irregularities in her affidavit related to a case before a Hyderabad court. The Congress contests this, arguing the court had only issued a notice and had not taken cognisance, meaning there was no criminal case to disclose.
What did the Congress delegation tell the Election Commission?
Led by Congress MP Abhishek Manu Singhvi, the 10-member delegation argued that the rejection was 'incorrect and not in accordance with the law' and that no legal provision supported the grounds cited by the Returning Officer. They requested the order be set aside immediately.
What is the BJP's position on the nomination rejection?
Madhya Pradesh BJP President Hemant Khandelwal denied any party involvement, noting that the BJP is not in power in Telangana and questioning who supplied the documents from there to the Returning Officer. He suggested the Congress examine its own internal issues.
Who was part of the Congress delegation that met the Election Commission?
The delegation included KC Venugopal, Jairam Ramesh, Randeep Surjewala, Sachin Pilot, Bhupesh Baghel, and Vivek Tankha, led by Abhishek Manu Singhvi. Umang Singhar, Leader of the Opposition in the MP Assembly, said the EC assured them a decision within two hours.
What protests have Congress workers held over the nomination rejection?
Congress workers staged demonstrations across Madhya Pradesh on Wednesday, marching to the Chief Electoral Officer's office in Bhopal and holding a continuous sit-in outside the Election Commission office there. Protests were also held at block, district, and assembly levels statewide.
