New Delhi:
The issue of the rejection of Rajya Sabha nomination of Congress leader Meenakshi Natarajan in Madhya Pradesh has now reached the Supreme Court. The Congress has moved the top court to contest the dismissal of its candidate’s nomination. The party is expected to bring the issue up early in the morning for an urgent hearing before the court’s vacation bench on Thursday.
This legal action follows the Returning Officer’s rejection of Natarajan’s nomination papers due to objections raised by the BJP. The ruling party claimed that the Congress leader did not provide information about a legal case in Telangana in the affidavit with her nomination papers.
Natarajan, however, has dismissed the allegations as a “political conspiracy” and has insisted that there is no case against her, and that the said issue was related to only a private complaint.
Read | The Curious ‘Case’ Of Meenakshi Natarajan’s Rajya Sabha Papers Rejection
Earlier on Wednesday, Natarajan alleged that the Returning Officers (ROs) were “compromised” and acting on the behest of the government.
“I will say this with full responsibility that the returning officers yesterday were compromised. They were working as spokespersons and as the frontal organisation heads of the current government.”
The Congress on Wednesday urged the Election Commission to intervene immediately and set aside what it called a “completely egregious, blatant, patently unlawful” order.
A Congress delegation led by senior advocate and MP Abhishek Manu Singhvi met Election Commission officials in Delhi and submitted a detailed representation, arguing that Natarajan’s nomination had been rejected despite there being no criminal case against her that required disclosure under election law.
The Election Commission is expected to take a decision soon after consulting its legal experts.
Read | Sabotage? Inside Story Of How BJP Got Papers Against Meenakshi Natarajan
Natarajan was the Congress’ lone Rajya Sabha candidate from Madhya Pradesh, and the rejection of her candidature has left the party high and dry. It cannot field another candidate as Natarajan’s nomination was rejected after the nominations deadline which was June 8.
The controversy stems from a 2022 matter in Telangana, where a woman had accused a Congress leader of harassment and threats. The woman alleged that despite her complaint, the Congress leadership failed to take strict action against Reddy.
According to the complainant, she had also raised the matter before Meenakshi Natarajan, who was then associated with the Congress organisation in Telangana.
The Congress, however, argued that Natarajan was not an accused in any FIR and that no criminal case had been registered against her. Therefore, the party maintained, there was no legal requirement to mention the matter in the nomination affidavit.
