In a major political development, Telangana Congress affairs in-charge Meenakshi Natarajan faced a severe setback as the Supreme Court of India rejected her plea challenging the rejection of her Rajya Sabha nomination from Madhya Pradesh. A vacation bench comprising Justice Prashant Kumar Mishra and Justice Atul S. Chandurkar heard the petition on Friday and explicitly stated that the apex court cannot interfere with the decision of the Returning Officer (RO). Senior advocate and Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi, representing Natarajan, argued that she faces no criminal cases and was only served summons. However, the bench remained unconvinced, dismissing the petition as non-maintainable and advising the candidate to approach either the Election Commission of India (ECI) or the High Court.
The controversy erupted after Rajya Sabha Returning Officer Arvind Sharma issued an official order declaring Natarajan’s nomination invalid. The ruling came following a formal complaint lodged by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate, Mahesh Kevat, who alleged that Natarajan had submitted an incomplete affidavit in Form 26. According to Madhya Pradesh assembly officials, the RO’s scrutiny of the available documents revealed that Natarajan had intentionally omitted details regarding a pending court case registered against her in Telangana. While the Congress defense maintained that a mere summons does not equate to a criminal record, the RO ruled the omission as a failure to present a transparent affidavit, leading to the cancellation.
Reacting sharply to the development, Madhya Pradesh Congress Committee President Jitu Patwari termed the rejection an unprecedented event in Indian political history and expressed deep concerns over the state of democracy in the country. Addressing a press conference, Patwari claimed this is the first instance in India where a Rajya Sabha nomination was canceled under such circumstances, creating an atmosphere of anxiety among the general public. He questioned whether the nation is transitioning toward authoritarianism and dictatorship. As the Congress camp cries foul over the political maneuver, the legal options for Natarajan now remain confined to filing an election petition in the High Court or escalating the matter directly to the central poll panel.
