Meenakshi Natarajan RS nomination: Telangana court case explained
Synopsis
The rejection of Meenakshi Natarajan's Rajya Sabha nomination has exposed a three-way political fault line — BJP using a Hyderabad court case she allegedly omitted from her affidavit, BRS accusing Telangana CM Revanth Reddy of leaking the document to the BJP, and Congress caught between its Telangana and Madhya Pradesh wings. The 'who passed the paper' question may prove more damaging than the case itself.
Key Takeaways
Meenakshi Natarajan's Rajya Sabha nomination from Madhya Pradesh was rejected after a case allegedly pending in a Hyderabad court was found undisclosed in her affidavit.
The complaint was filed under Section 223 of the BNSS before the 4th Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate, Hyderabad , in 2025 ; an FIR followed on 28 May 2025 .
BJP leader Kailash Vijayvargiya filed the complaint with the returning officer in Madhya Pradesh, reportedly acting on documents received from a Congress leader in Telangana.
BRS leader Krishank Manne accused Telangana CM A.
Revanth Reddy — who also holds the home portfolio — of leaking the information to the BJP.
Congress sources say Natarajan was not named in Srilatha's original 2022 police complaint, which was disposed of for lack of evidence.
A sharp political controversy has erupted over the Rajya Sabha nomination of Congress leader Meenakshi Natarajan from Madhya Pradesh, after the returning officer rejected her candidature on the ground that a case allegedly pending before a Hyderabad court was not disclosed in her nomination affidavit. The row has since drawn in the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS), and the Telangana government.
The Hyderabad Case at the Centre of the Dispute
A legal notice sent to the All India Congress Committee (AICC) in-charge for Telangana at the state Congress office, Gandhi Bhavan, last year reveals that Natarajan was named as the fourth respondent in a private complaint filed by a former Congress leader and a former corporator of the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC).
The complaint was filed under Section 223 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) before the Court of the 4th Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate at Hyderabad in 2025. Natarajan was directed to appear before the court on 17 September 2025 and file a counter, if any. An FIR was subsequently registered on 28 May 2025, following the court's direction on the complaint.
Who Filed the Complaint and Why
Srilatha, a former corporator elected on a Telugu Desam Party (TDP) ticket from 2002 to 2007, had originally filed a petition against a Congress leader, Shiva Kumar Reddy, alleging that she faces a threat to her life from him and his supporters. She named seven Congress leaders — including Natarajan — as respondents, on the ground that they were informed of the alleged harassment and threats but failed to act.
According to Congress sources, Natarajan was not named in Srilatha's first police complaint filed in 2022, which was subsequently disposed of for lack of evidence. Srilatha's later private complaints filed in Hyderabad and Bengaluru were also reportedly disposed of.
BJP's Role and the Vijayvargiya Remark
The returning officer in Madhya Pradesh reportedly acted on a complaint filed by senior BJP leader and minister in the Mohan Yadav government, Kailash Vijayvargiya. The complaint contended that the Telangana court case involving Natarajan was not disclosed in her nomination affidavit — a potential ground for rejection.
The controversy deepened when Vijayvargiya remarked that the BJP had received the relevant 'paper' from a Congress leader in Telangana. The comment immediately triggered accusations that the information had been passed on by someone within the Telangana Congress establishment.
BRS Points to Revanth Reddy
BRS leaders were swift to train their guns on Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy, who also holds the home portfolio. BRS leader Krishank Manne asked pointedly: 'Who informed Madhya Pradesh BJP? Is there a role of Home Minister of Telangana?'
Manne further claimed that Natarajan had publicly opposed the Musi River beautification project, the demolition of houses in Khammam, and alleged deforestation at the University of Hyderabad — suggesting, in the BRS reading, a political motive behind the leak.
What Happens Next
The rejection of Natarajan's nomination leaves Congress without its preferred candidate for the Rajya Sabha seat in Madhya Pradesh, and the party is expected to mount a legal challenge. The episode has also cast a spotlight on intra-Congress fault lines in Telangana, with the BRS likely to press the 'who leaked the document' question in the coming days. Whether the Hyderabad court case itself has legal merit will be a key determinant of how far this controversy travels.
Point of View
And BRS has every incentive to amplify it ahead of local elections. Revanth Reddy's dual role as Chief Minister and Home Minister makes the question of whether state machinery was involved harder to dismiss. For Congress nationally, this episode is a reminder that internal factional conflicts increasingly play out through legal and procedural channels — with opposition parties as willing intermediaries.
NationPress
27 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why was Meenakshi Natarajan's Rajya Sabha nomination rejected?
Her nomination was rejected by the returning officer in Madhya Pradesh on the ground that a case allegedly pending before a Hyderabad court was not disclosed in her nomination affidavit. BJP leader Kailash Vijayvargiya had filed a complaint drawing attention to this omission.
What is the Hyderabad court case against Meenakshi Natarajan?
A private complaint was filed under Section 223 of the BNSS before the 4th Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate at Hyderabad in 2025. Natarajan was named as the fourth respondent alongside six other Congress leaders, on the ground that they were informed of alleged threats to the complainant but failed to act. An FIR was registered on 28 May 2025 following the court's direction.
Who filed the original complaint and what does it allege?
The complaint was filed by Srilatha, a former GHMC corporator who served on a TDP ticket from 2002 to 2007. She alleged that Congress leader Shiva Kumar Reddy and his supporters posed a threat to her life, and named seven Congress leaders — including Natarajan — for failing to act despite being informed of the harassment.
Why is BRS accusing Telangana CM Revanth Reddy?
BRS leader Krishank Manne questioned whether the Telangana Home Ministry — headed by CM A. Revanth Reddy — had a role in passing the court documents to the BJP, after Kailash Vijayvargiya stated that the BJP received the relevant 'paper' from a Congress leader in Telangana. BRS also claims Natarajan had opposed several Telangana government projects.
What is Congress's position on the court case?
Congress sources maintain that Natarajan was not named in Srilatha's original 2022 police complaint, which was disposed of for lack of evidence. Subsequent private complaints by Srilatha in Hyderabad and Bengaluru were also reportedly disposed of, suggesting the party views the current case as politically motivated.
