Congress Leader Meenakshi Natarajan Disqualified From Rajya Sabha Race Over Affidavit Row

A major political controversy erupted in Madhya Pradesh on Tuesday after Congress leader Meenakshi Natarajan's nomination for the Rajya Sabha elections was rejected. The Returning Officer reportedly dismissed her candidature over allegations that she failed to disclose details related to a legal matter in Telangana in her election affidavit, triggering a sharp response from the Congress.

The rejection comes amid an intense contest for three Rajya Sabha seats from Madhya Pradesh, with both the Congress and BJP exchanging accusations over the decision.

Complaint Over Telangana Case Leads to Rejection

According to officials, the nomination was set aside after objections were raised regarding an alleged non-disclosure in Natarajan's affidavit.

"Natarajan's nomination has been rejected by the Returning Officer on the grounds of hiding information about a case," an MP Assembly official told PTI.

The objection was submitted by BJP candidate Mahesh Kevat, who is contesting for the third Rajya Sabha seat. Kevat alleged that Natarajan deliberately omitted details of a criminal case that is reportedly pending against her in Telangana.

Advocate Sanket Gupta, representing Kevat, said the matter is currently before a Telangana court and should have been mentioned in the nomination papers. He argued that Supreme Court guidelines require candidates to disclose all such information in their affidavits.

Gupta maintained that Kevat had formally objected to Natarajan's candidature on these grounds and claimed there were additional shortcomings in her nomination documents.

Congress Calls Move an Attack on Democracy

The Congress strongly condemned the rejection, accusing the BJP of attempting to influence the outcome of the Rajya Sabha election through unfair means.

Congress general secretary KC Venugopal described the decision as a "blatant attempt" by the BJP to weaken democratic processes through covert tactics.

He rejected claims of any mistake or concealment in Natarajan's nomination documents, calling them "complete humbug" and a "desperate attempt" to snatch a seat from the Congress party.

Venugopal alleged that the BJP resorted to the move after its efforts to influence Congress legislators failed. He accused the ruling party of undermining democratic institutions and claimed its actions exposed a "hollow commitment" to the Constitution.

Referring to the controversy as a "daylight robbery of democracy," he said the Congress would challenge the decision through legal channels as well as political protests, fighting it "tooth-and-nail."

MLA Expresses Shock Over Development

Congress MLA Yadvendra Singh also voiced concern over the developments surrounding the Rajya Sabha election.

"Today, when we went to airport, flights were not allowed to operate. From there itself, I felt how low these people can go. After that, it is a very shocking incident that a candidate's form has been rejected...We still do not have complete information. All we know is that the form has been rejected," Singh told PTI.

His remarks reflected the growing frustration within the Congress camp as party leaders questioned the circumstances surrounding the rejection.

Congress Insists No Criminal Case Exists

The Congress has maintained that the allegations against Natarajan are baseless and that there was no requirement for the information in question to be included in her affidavit.

Madhya Pradesh Congress in-charge Harish Chaudhary claimed that no criminal case had actually been registered against Natarajan. According to him, she had merely received a show-cause notice from a court, which does not amount to a formal criminal case.

Chaudhary argued that Election Commission rules require disclosure only when a case has been officially filed. Since the matter had not reached that stage, he said there was no obligation to mention it in the nomination papers.

Accusing the BJP of political harassment, Chaudhary said the objections were raised solely to target the Congress leader and that the rejection lacked legal justification.

The dispute is now expected to intensify, with the Congress preparing both legal and political challenges against the Returning Officer's decision.