Congress leader Meenakshi Natarajan on Friday, 12 June declared that her party will press on with its 'fight' for justice after the Supreme Court declined to intervene in the Returning Officer's decision rejecting her Rajya Sabha nomination from Madhya Pradesh. The rejection stems from the alleged non-disclosure of a criminal case in Telangana.

What the Supreme Court Said

The court held that once a Returning Officer rejects a nomination paper, the appropriate statutory remedy for an aggrieved candidate is to approach the Election Commission of India (ECI). On that basis, the bench refused to grant relief and left the door open for Natarajan to pursue the matter before the poll panel.

Natarajan's Reaction

Speaking to reporters after the ruling, Natarajan said: 'We will continue to fight. In a democracy, there is another court which is of the public, we will take our fight there.' She declined to comment directly on the Supreme Court's decision, but noted that the Election Commission had maintained silence even after 48 hours of being approached. 'It did not take any decision,' she said.

Addressing reporters later, she added: 'We will take our next step according to what the senior leaders of the party decide. We will keep fighting our battle across forums. Even though our plea has been dismissed, we are free to take our fight to the people.'

Congress Alleges 'Seat Chori'

Natarajan defended Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi's 'seat chori' allegation, saying: 'Seat chori is very evident, and everyone has been a witness to it. The nomination of a candidate belonging to a corporate setup is not cancelled, whereas the nomination of one who is contesting on the basis of constitutional values gets cancelled.'

She also reiterated the Indian National Congress (Congress) party's long-standing charge against the poll body: 'I have been reiterating that the Election Commission is compromised. This has been proved again today.' Notably, this is not the first time Congress leaders have raised concerns about electoral fairness — the party has repeatedly cited instances of what it terms 'vote chori' in recent election cycles.

What Happens Next

With the Supreme Court directing Natarajan to the Election Commission, and the ECI yet to respond, the Congress has indicated it will escalate the matter publicly and through party channels. The episode adds fresh friction to an already charged political climate ahead of the Rajya Sabha elections from Madhya Pradesh. Whether the ECI acts on the complaint — and on what timeline — will determine the next phase of this dispute.