New Delhi: The rejection of Congress leader Meenakshi Natarajan’s Rajya Sabha nomination from Madhya Pradesh has triggered a fresh political controversy. Madhya Pradesh minister and BJP leader Kailash Vijayvargiya has indicated that information about Meenakshi Natarajan’s nomination papers containing mistakes came from Telangana, pointing to a rift within the Congress party.
“We’re getting papers from Telangana, where their government is in power. It must have been Congress people themselves who gave us the information—this is the state of the Congress…” he told reporters.
According to reports, Natarajan’s nomination papers were rejected by the Returning Officer during scrutiny after objections were raised regarding alleged non-disclosure of a legal matter linked to a court proceeding in Telangana.
The BJP objected to her candidature, claiming that she had failed to mention details of a pending case or complaint in her nomination affidavit. Officials noted that this omission amounted to concealment of “material information,” which is mandatory for candidates contesting elections.
The controversy is said to revolve around a private complaint filed in a Telangana court, in which a notice had reportedly been issued under legal provisions. The Returning Officer held that the candidate was aware of the proceedings but did not disclose them in the required Form 26 affidavit.
Following the rejection, the Congress strongly opposed the decision and termed it unfair, accusing the BJP of influencing the process. Senior party leaders also approached the Election Commission of India, demanding a review of the decision and alleging misuse of procedural objections to target opposition candidates.
The issue has added further heat to the ongoing Rajya Sabha elections in Madhya Pradesh, where the BJP is positioned strongly due to its numerical advantage in the state assembly, while the Congress has accused its rival of attempting to tilt the electoral balance through legal and procedural challenges.
