Congress to Challenge Rejection of Meenakshi Natarajan's Rajya Sabha Nomination in High Court

Senior Congress leader Meenakshi Natarajan is set to challenge the rejection of her Rajya Sabha nomination in the Madhya Pradesh High Court. The former MP has questioned the Election Commission's decision, calling it legally flawed, and said the party would file an election petition within the stipulated time.

Natarajan's nomination was rejected by the Returning Officer ahead of the Rajya Sabha polls. The officer cited non-disclosure of information related to a pending case. However, Natarajan argued that Form-26, which candidates must submit with nomination papers, does not have a specific column requiring such disclosure. She claimed the rejection was not due to any mistake by Congress leaders or lawyers but was a consequence of a flawed decision by the election authorities.

She also alleged a "calculated narrative" was created to shift blame onto the Congress party and shield the Election Commission. Referring to the case of Rajya Sabha candidate Parimal Nathwani in Jharkhand, Natarajan claimed he was given 24 hours to rectify his nomination papers, whereas she was not given a similar opportunity. She said this indicated inconsistent standards applied by the Election Commission.

The Congress party's legal cell is preparing the election petition under the supervision of senior lawyers. The matter had previously reached the Election Commission and then the Supreme Court, but the next legal battle will be in the High Court through the post-election legal route.

The BJP has dismissed the Congress's charges. State spokesperson Ajay Yadav said the rejection was a result of internal conflict within the Congress, adding that Natarajan has been sidelined and that the party should introspect.