The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear on Friday, 13 June a petition filed by Congress leader Meenakshi Natarajan challenging the rejection of her nomination papers for the Rajya Sabha election from Madhya Pradesh. The case carries urgency: Thursday was the last date for withdrawal of nominations, and any delay could effectively deny Natarajan meaningful legal relief for up to six years.

How the Urgent Hearing Was Secured

A vacation Bench of Justices Prashant Kumar Mishra and Atul S. Chandurkar on Thursday assured an early hearing after senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, appearing for Natarajan, sought urgent listing of the matter. Singhvi argued that with Thursday being the final day for nomination withdrawals, any further delay would render the petition infructuous.

The senior counsel also urged the apex court to stay the declaration of the election result pending adjudication of the dispute. However, the Justice Mishra-led Bench declined to pass any interim order at this stage, deferring the question to Friday's hearing.

Opposition to Urgent Intervention

Senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, appearing on behalf of the Returning Officer, and senior advocate D.S. Naidu, appearing for the Election Commission of India (ECI), both opposed the plea for urgent intervention. Their resistance signals that Friday's hearing is likely to be contested on procedural as well as substantive grounds.

Why Natarajan's Nomination Was Rejected

The Returning Officer rejected Natarajan's nomination following objections raised by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). According to the objection, Natarajan allegedly failed to disclose details of a case pending before a Telangana court in the affidavit submitted alongside her nomination papers.

The BJP's objection stemmed from a petition filed by former corporate executive A. Srilatha before the Fourth Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate's Court in Hyderabad. That petition alleged that Natarajan had extended political patronage to Kumbham Shivakumar Reddy, against whom Srilatha had levelled allegations including molestation and criminal intimidation. Natarajan has denied these allegations, describing them as part of a 'political conspiracy', and has opposed Srilatha's petition before the Hyderabad court.

Natarajan's Broader Allegations

The Congress leader — the party's sole Rajya Sabha candidate from Madhya Pradesh — has alleged that the Returning Officers were 'compromised' and acting at the behest of the government. She further claimed that efforts were being made to 'subvert democracy' through the rejection of her nomination, and accused the Returning Officers of functioning as 'spokespersons' of the ruling dispensation rather than as independent constitutional authorities.

This comes amid a broader pattern of nomination disputes in Rajya Sabha elections, where affidavit disclosures have increasingly become flashpoints between ruling and opposition parties. Friday's Supreme Court hearing will be closely watched for any interim relief that could affect the election timeline.