Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) president Mahesh Kumar Goud asserted that the Congress was inquiring into how details related to Meenakshi Natarajan entered the public domain and promised action against those responsible for leaking information.

The controversy emerged publicly on June 8 and was subsequently used to influence the nomination process in Madhya Pradesh Rajya Sabha elections, he said in an informal chat with the media.

He alleged political interference in the rejection of the nomination of Meenakshi Natarajan, and claimed the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Central government were responsible. Ms. Natarajan’s nomination was rejected despite there being no FIR, crime number or formal criminal case against her and the Returning Officer acted under political pressure.

Explanation sought from Shabbir Ali

Responding to allegations made by senior Congress leader Mohammed Ali Shabbir that money was involved in granting party posts, he said there was no need to react hastily. An explanation has been sought from Mr. Shabbir Ali, he said and expressed disappointment over remarks that he said demeaned women.

The TPCC president also targeted BRS working president K.T. Rama Rao challenging him to explain allegations relating to financial mismanagement, land issues and debt accumulation during the BRS regime before undertaking political campaigns such as bus yatras and padayatras.

He further predicted that the BJP would face significant setbacks in the next parliamentary elections and claimed that all eight BJP MPs from Telangana would be defeated.

The Congress on Thursday (June 11, 2026) said it would challenge the rejection of its Madhya Pradesh candidate Meenakshi Natarajan’s nomination for the Rajya Sabha election legally and politically. It also announced a nation-wide campaign on issues such as inflation, unemployment, the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (Undergraduate) (NEET-UG) and other paper leaks and the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) On-Screen Marking (OSM) controversy.

The decision was taken at a meeting of the party’s top leadership, presided by Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge and attended by the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, general secretaries K. C. Venugopal, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Jairam Ramesh, Bhupesh Baghel, Randeep Surjewala and party in-charges and Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) chiefs. 

In a post on social media platform X, Mr. Gandhi called Madhya Pradesh issue a case of seat chori (theft) and said that it is easier to fix elections with the help of Election Commission rather than win them. “After vote Chori and Sarkar Chori — the BJP-EC jugalbandi has finished the contest before it has even begun with Seat Chori,” he said.

“Congress candidate Meenakshi Natarajanji submitted every document. No pending cases. The EC cancelled her nomination on a frivolous BJP objection. Parimal Nathwaniji, the BJP-backed Independent, got his own name wrong on the form and skipped multiple mandatory disclosures. The EC gave him an extension to fix everything,” the Opposition leader added.

He said the same EC treated two candidates very differently. “One was disqualified without even a hearing. The other was rewarded despite not following the rules,” Mr. Gandhi said.

The 60-odd Congress MLAs from Madhya Pradesh are likely to launch a protest against the decision of the Returning Officer in New Delhi soon. 

‘Country is facing serious challanges’

In a post on X, Mr. Kharge said the country was facing serious challenges, including inflation, unemployment, examination scandals and social inequality. “Paper leaks in NEET and various recruitment exams, along with controversies related to the education system, have shaken the trust of millions of youth and their families. Shri Rahul Gandhi has personally met with affected students and youth and has firmly presented their voice before the nation,” he said.

“Today, unfortunately, we see that those institutions and systems which took decades to build are being deliberately weakened. Therefore, our responsibility is not only toward political struggle, but also toward safeguarding India’s Constitution, democracy, and social justice,” Mr. Kharge asserted.

The party has drawn up a list of issues which would be highlighted in the three-four month long campaign. Though the exact modalities are being worked out, the campaign is expected start by end of June.  

Mr. Gandhi is said to have warned his colleagues of an economic downturn and urged them to stand with the people, telling them that price rise, fuel shortage, paper leaks are because of “wrong policies” of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Ms. Vadra reportedly said the party should focus on a targeted campaign. 

Matter of great worry: Venugopal

Addressing a press conference with Mr. Ramesh after the nearly three-hour meeting, Mr. Venugopal described recent developments in Madhya Pradesh and Jharkhand as a matter of “great worry”.

Calling the Madhya Pradesh episode “seat chori”, Mr. Venugopal said the developments reflected the “pathetic condition of Indian democracy”. “Today’s meeting discussed the matter in detail. We will fight this issue politically and legally,” he said.

Mr. Venugopal said recurring paper leaks, unemployment and job insecurities are destroying the hopes of our Gen Z and youth and families are facing severe strain as the economy goes into a tailspin destroying household budgets. “From the Block level to Parliament, we will mobilise all affected sections and send a strong message that we are with the ordinary people, while the Modi-led BJP is with the rich and powerful,” he said.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is resorting to every possible tactic to suppress democracy and stifle the voice of the Opposition, said Gujarat Pradesh Congress Committee (GPCC) president Amit Chavda.

Reacting to the rejection of Congress Rajya Sabha candidate Meenakshi Natarajan’s nomination papers in Madhya Pradesh, he said the decision was “not merely an administrative step” but “a killing of democratic values under political pressure.”

Mr. Chavda alleged that when the BJP is unable to compete politically in the electoral arena, it resorts to manipulation, pressure tactics, misuse of investigative agencies, and subversion of democratic processes. He said the incident clearly shows that the BJP is “so fearful of the Opposition that it cannot even accept fair elections.”

The Congress, he added, strongly opposes this “undemocratic and authoritarian mindset” and will continue its fight at every level to ensure that democracy is not held hostage to what he called BJP’s conspiracies, while protecting the rights of the people.