BHOPAL: Congress candidate Meenakshi Natarajan's nomination for the June 18 Rajya Sabha polls in Madhya Pradesh was rejected on Tuesday after scrutiny, upending election arithmetic as the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) moved closer to winning all three seats unopposed. Returning officer A P Singh rejected the nomination after the BJP objected that Natarajan failed to disclose details of a pending case in Telangana.
Congress Alleges Constitutional Conspiracy
The Congress party branded the move "illegal" and alleged that the BJP had engineered a "constitutional conspiracy" to grab a third Rajya Sabha seat despite lacking the numbers. Under election law, the Election Commission cannot overturn a returning officer's decision during scrutiny. The stakes had already been high after the BJP sprang a surprise by fielding Mahesh Kewat as a third candidate. With 164 MLAs in the 230-member assembly, the BJP is comfortably placed to bag two seats. A candidate needs 58 votes to win, leaving Kewat dependent on surplus votes, cross-voting, or abstentions.
Officials Claim Opportunity Given
Officials stated that Natarajan was given a chance to furnish missing details but did not do so, leading to rejection through a reasoned order. Natarajan countered, saying, "BJP fielded a third candidate without adequate votes and we knew hurdles would be created. First, they are stealing votes through SIR, now they are stealing seats. We will fight this battle through every democratic and constitutional forum available." Unless the Congress secures urgent relief from the Election Commission or the Supreme Court, the contest now effectively stands reduced to three BJP candidates for three vacancies, setting the stage for an unopposed sweep in Madhya Pradesh.
Legal Dispute Over Disclosure
Congress disputed the interpretation of the disclosure requirement. "The matter relates to BNS Section 223 concerning intentional disobedience of a lawful order by a public servant. It is not a criminal case in the conventional sense," Congress legal cell representative Ajay Gupta said. "There was no requirement to disclose it under prescribed norms." Gupta added that the party would challenge the rejection before appropriate legal forums, including the Election Commission and the Supreme Court.
In response, the BJP countered that the returning officer had merely followed the law and Supreme Court guidelines on disclosure of pending criminal matters. "Apart from an FIR, if a court summons has been issued in a criminal matter, declaration is compulsory," BJP legal cell member Sanket Gupta said. "She can't claim ignorance because she herself responded to the notice issued by a Hyderabad court."
