A 10-member delegation met poll officials in Delhi, which assured a decision within two hours. In Bhopal, Congress workers hung an RSS uniform at the CEO office gate.

The Congress party on Wednesday knocked on the doors of the Election Commission of India (ECI), challenging the rejection of its Rajya Sabha candidate Meenakshi Natarajan’s nomination papers in Madhya Pradesh. The move came less than 24 hours after Returning Officer (RO) Arpit Sharma invalidated her candidature, triggering sharp political reactions and street protests across the state.

Delhi Meeting, EC Assurance

A Congress delegation, including senior leaders K.C. Venugopal, Jairam Ramesh, Bhupesh Baghel, and Sachin Pilot, met with poll officials in the capital. Party MP Abhishek Manu Singhvi, a senior advocate, argued that the RO’s decision had no legal basis.

“The grounds on which the nomination was rejected do not exist in the law. There was no criminal case that required disclosure,” Singhvi told reporters after the meeting. He clarified that Natarajan had only received a court notice, not a formal charge. “A notice asking if proceedings should begin is not a pending criminal case.”

According to Leader of Opposition in the MP Assembly Umang Singhar, the Commission assured the delegation of a decision within two hours.

Bhopal Protest Turns Symbolic

In the state capital, the protest took an unusual turn. Congress workers gathered outside the office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) but found the gates shut. In response, they hung a uniform of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) on the main gate before leaving the spot.

The action was a direct rejoinder to the BJP’s repeated claims linking Congress to a specific ideological posture. Meanwhile, a separate collective fast was underway at Roshanpura Square in Bhopal, where former Chief Minister Digvijaya Singh and several other leaders sat on a day-long hunger strike.

The Legal Dispute

The controversy revolves around a private complaint filed against Natarajan in a Hyderabad court. The RO had cited the non-disclosure of this case, arguing that a summons issued on September 17, 2025, made it a “pending” matter.

Singhvi, however, rejected this interpretation. “Under election law, a candidate only needs to disclose cases where the court has taken cognizance and framed charges for an offence carrying two years or more in jail. Here, the magistrate hasn’t even taken cognizance yet,” he explained. He termed the RO’s decision “legally malicious.”

A Contrast in Jharkhand

Adding to Congress’s argument of a double standard, party workers pointed to a simultaneous election process in Jharkhand. There, the RO has declared the nomination of NDA-backed independent candidate Parimal Nathwani as valid, despite objections from Congress over discrepancies in his name on affidavits.

A Congress functionary noted that while the Jharkhand RO gave time until the next day to respond to objections, the MP RO rejected Natarajan’s form within hours of raising a query. “Two states, two rules in one election,” said state women’s Congress chief Reena Borasi.

Political Fallout

The ruling BJP dismissed the protests as a face-saving tactic. State minister Vishwas Sarang alleged the Congress deliberately filed a defective nomination, fearing cross-voting by its own MLAs. “They knew at least 25 of their legislators would vote for our candidate. To save their own shame, they got the form cancelled,” Sarang claimed.

Congress legislators, however, remained defiant. Some lawmakers in Bhopal raised the pitch, with MLA Dinesh Gurjar making sharp remarks about being the “first to throw a stone” at the chief minister’s residence if a protest was called. Other leaders, like Vikrant Bhuria, labelled the poll panel a "commission of brokers."

With the last date for withdrawal of nominations still open, the Congress has indicated it may approach the Supreme Court if the EC does not rule in its favour.

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.