The Congress party on Wednesday launched a sharp counterattack against the controversy surrounding the rejection of Meenakshi Natarajan's Rajya Sabha nomination. It alleged that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), acting in concert with its 'secret alliance partner' Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS), orchestrated a campaign to portray Telangana Congress leaders as covert operatives responsible for the episode and drag Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy into the controversy.
Allegations of Political Conspiracy
Congress leaders accused the BJP of using the issue for political gain and claimed that BRS-backed social media platforms amplified a narrative aimed at tarnishing the image of the Congress government and the chief minister. Congress Member of Parliament Chamala Kiran Kumar Reddy alleged, 'As part of a secret understanding, some social media platforms, reportedly backed by the BRS, immediately started a campaign alleging that CM Revanth was behind the episode, after the Rajya Sabha nomination of Meenakshi was rejected based on a pending court case in Telangana.'
Sources told the Times of India that Revanth took serious exception to attempts to link him to the controversy. Following this, Kiran Reddy and other party leaders lodged a formal complaint with the Central Crime Station. In the complaint, Kiran Reddy urged the police to initiate action against those circulating what he described as malicious content against the chief minister and ensure its removal from social media platforms.
Party Leaders Rally Behind Meenakshi
Senior Congress leaders, including ministers, Members of Parliament, and Members of the Legislative Assembly, rallied behind Meenakshi, praising her integrity and describing her as a follower of Gandhian ideology while accusing the BJP of indulging in 'seat chori'. Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) President B Mahesh Kumar Goud described the episode as the 'height of BJP's political conspiracies'.
'The BJP is bent upon weakening democratic institutions and manipulating the electoral process for its own political advantage. Irregularities in voter lists, inducement of elected representatives, and political pressure tactics have become part of the BJP's political culture,' he alleged.
Demand for Inquiry
Mahesh Goud demanded that the Election Commission explain to the country the reasons behind rejecting Meenakshi's nomination. He said the party would pursue a legal battle against what it considers politically motivated actions by the BJP and demanded a comprehensive inquiry into the issue by the ECI, calling for the full facts to be made public. The Congress is prepared to launch a nationwide movement, he added.
Kiran Reddy also questioned the basis on which Meenakshi's nomination was rejected, arguing that a private complaint should not have led to her disqualification. 'Under BNSS section 223, citizens have the right to respond to private complaints, which are not meant to be treated as criminal cases or declared in Form 26 during the election process. This shows that the Election Commission may be under pressure,' he alleged.
'The BJP did not have numbers to win the third Rajya Sabha seat in Madhya Pradesh. Yet the BJP fielded a candidate against Meenakshi, which is a clear indication of the saffron party's conspiracy. Why would any Congress leader help the BJP stop Meenakshi from winning the Rajya Sabha seat? If anyone wants her to be shifted out as AICC Telangana in-charge, they will rather want her to win the Rajya Sabha seat, which gives more scope for her to be shifted from here,' he added.
Congress on Wednesday alleged that the BJP acted on the directions of the BRS, its secret alliance partner, to strategically blame the alleged covert operatives in Telangana Congress because of whom the court case against Meenakshi Natarajan came to light.
