Meenakshi Natarajan, the Congress candidate for the Rajya Sabha from Madhya Pradesh and AICC in-charge for Telangana Congress affairs, faced a major setback when her nomination papers were rejected during scrutiny on June 9, 2026. The Returning Officer, Madhya Pradesh Assembly Secretary Arvind Sharma, rejected her candidature on technical grounds following objections raised by BJP leaders. The rejection came for one of the three Rajya Sabha seats from the state, throwing the Congress campaign into disarray.
The rejection was triggered by an objection filed by BJP candidate Mahesh Kewat, who is contesting the third seat, along with other BJP state leaders. They alleged that Natarajan deliberately concealed details of a pending criminal case lodged against her in a Hyderabad court in Telangana. The case reportedly involves a 2025 notice related to alleged political patronage in a molestation matter. The BJP claimed this non-disclosure violated Supreme Court guidelines on mandatory disclosure in election affidavits, which require all candidates to declare pending criminal cases.
The Congress party reacted sharply to the decision, terming it a “blatant attack on democracy” and accusing the BJP of engineering a ploy to snatch the seat. Congress General Secretary (Organisation) K.C. Venugopal led a delegation to the Election Commission of India seeking an urgent hearing to challenge the rejection. However, the ECI turned away the delegation without granting a hearing. In protest, Congress workers staged a sit-in outside the ECI office and vowed to pursue all legal options available to challenge the decision.
With the last date for filing nominations having passed on June 8, the Congress cannot field a substitute candidate for the seat. This development means that BJP’s three nominees — Tarun Chugh, Rajneesh Agrawal, and Mahesh Kewat — are now set to win the Rajya Sabha seats unopposed. The BJP holds a commanding majority in the Madhya Pradesh Assembly with 163 seats, making their victory virtually certain in the absence of any opposition candidate.
The incident has triggered a major political row, with Congress leaders including Madhya Pradesh unit chief Jitu Patwari addressing the media to condemn the decision. Natarajan, who was considered a key face for the party and held the important responsibility of managing Telangana Congress affairs, has suffered a significant political setback. The opposition has intensified its accusations of “institutional bias” against democratic processes, alleging that government machinery is being misused to benefit the ruling party.
Congress leaders have announced plans to explore all legal remedies to challenge the rejection, though the tight timeline leaves little room for maneuver. The party has called the rejection “seat chori” (seat theft) and accused the BJP of using procedural technicalities to eliminate political competition. Madhya Pradesh Congress leaders have stated they will continue their protest and take the matter to higher judicial forums to ensure justice is served in what they describe as a politically motivated decision.
