Meenakshi Natarajan nomination: Congress leaders eyeing RS seat ‘spoilt’ chances of party nominee, says M.P. CM

A day after the nomination of Meenakshi Natarajan, the Congress candidate for one of three Rajya Sabha seats from Madhya Pradesh going to poll on June 18, was rejected during scrutiny, Chief Minister Mohan Yadav said leaders of the Opposition party “eyeing the seat” for themselves were behind the alleged irregularities in her nomination form.

The Congress, however, alleged that Ms. Natarajan’s nomination was rejected as part of a “premeditated conspiracy” and all its 62 MLAs would call on President Droupadi Murmu in Delhi on Friday to seek her intervention in the matter.

Ms. Natarajan’s nomination was rejected by Assembly Secretary Arvind Sharma, Returning Officer for the election, based on an objection raised by the BJP candidate for the third seat, Mahesh Kewat, and State party general secretary Rahul Kothari. They alleged that the Congress nominee had “hidden” details of a case filed against her in Telangana. Mr. Kewat is now set to win unopposed, ensuring victory for the BJP in all three seats.

“The Congress made the mistake in their candidate’s form deliberately due to fear of losing. Many Congress leaders were eyeing the [Rajya Sabha] seat, but when they did not get nominated, they spoilt the game [for Ms. Natarajan],” Mr. Yadav said.

The CM also accused the Congress of “not trusting” its own MLAs following attempts by the party to move them to Bengaluru over fears of cross-voting. “The Congress now needs to introspect,” he said.

State BJP president Hemant Khandelwal also took a dig at the Congress, claiming that infighting led to the rejection of Ms. Natarajan’s nomination. “Ghar ka Lanka dhaye (An insider brings down a kingdom). We were getting all the information from them [Congress insiders] from time to time,” he alleged.

Meanwhile, several senior Congress leaders and MLAs accused the Returning Officer of “bias” and staged a day-long hunger strike near the State Election Commission’s office in Bhopal. State Congress president Jitu Patwari said the party has approached the Election Commission of India and will also move the Supreme Court to challenge the rejection of Ms. Natarajan’s nomination.

Announcing a Statewide protest over the issue, Mr. Patwari said party workers will gherao the CM’s house in Bhopal and BJP offices in all districts. “We will expose the real face of the BJP in every village and household,” he said.

Speaking to The Hindu, J.P. Dhanopia, legal cell in-charge of the State Congress, said the FIR lodged in Telangana was not a criminal case and that no charges had been framed against Ms. Natararjan.