Party leaders submit application against cancellation of Meenakshi Natarajan's Rajya Sabha bid, vow to move Supreme Court

In a dramatic late-night protest, senior Congress leaders led by former Chhattisgarh chief minister Bhupesh Baghel sat on a dharna outside the Election Commission office in Delhi on Tuesday, protesting the rejection of party candidate Meenakshi Natarajan's nomination for the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections from Madhya Pradesh.

The protest, which stretched past midnight, saw the presence of prominent faces including Sachin Pilot, K C Venugopal, and Jairam Ramesh.

Late-Night Protest Outside EC

Baghel and other leaders arrived at the commission's office around evening hours, only to find the premises closed. Unwilling to wait until morning, they chose to stage a sit-in demonstration.

"Returning officer in Madhya Pradesh had given a hearing time of 5:30 PM. At that very time, the office shut down. Where do we submit our application against the decision to reject Meenakshi Natarajan's nomination?" Baghel said from the protest site.

He added that an office clerk eventually accepted their application after they sat on dharna. "Only after we submit our formal application will the path open to approach the court," the Congress leader explained.

What Sparked the Row

The Madhya Pradesh returning officer Arvind Sharma on Tuesday rejected Natarajan's nomination papers following objections raised by the BJP. According to political observers, with this rejection, all three Rajya Sabha seats from the state now have BJP candidates heading for unopposed election.

The BJP had alleged that Natarajan suppressed information about a pending case in a Hyderabad court while filing her nomination papers. The returning officer issued a show-cause notice, seeking a response by 5:30 PM Tuesday. Not satisfied with the Congress candidate's reply, the officer proceeded to cancel the nomination.

 Congress Alleges Conspiracy

Party leaders have accused the Election Commission of functioning under pressure from the ruling BJP. "The nomination cancellation is wrong and amounts to a political conspiracy," Baghel asserted.

Congress sources indicated that the party is preparing to challenge the decision in the Supreme Court. Their argument rests on the nature of the pending matter – party leaders claim it is not even a criminal case where the court has taken cognizance.

Three BJP Candidates Now in Fray

The election for three Rajya Sabha seats from Madhya Pradesh is scheduled for June 18. Initially, four candidates were in the running – three from the BJP and Natarajan from Congress. With her nomination struck down, only three candidates remain in the contest, all belonging to the BJP.

Ahead of the polls, the Congress had already shifted nearly 48 of its party MLAs to Bengaluru in an apparent bid to prevent poaching attempts.

Party leaders say they will continue pressing the Election Commission and are exploring all legal options available. The coming days will determine whether the matter reaches the Supreme Court and if the Congress nominee can secure any relief before the June 18 polling date.