Why Congress leader Meenakshi Natarajan’s Rajya Sabha nomination from Madhya Pradesh was rejected

But her candidature was rejected during scrutiny of nominations by the Returning Officer (RO) concerned on Tuesday. Here’s what to know about why her candidature was rejected and what are the reasons for disqualification of an individual’s candidature to the Upper House of Parliament.

Natarajan’s candidature

Natarajan is a former president of the Youth Congress and former Lok Sabha MP from Madhya Pradesh’s Mandsaur (2009-14). She was also a Congress general secretary and has long been regarded as part of Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi’s trusted circle.

Natarajan’s candidature has led to dissatisfaction within the party itself. Senior state unit leader Naresh Gyanchandani had publicly questioned the decision while raising the possibility of cross-voting by Congress legislators, before resigning from the party on Monday.

In the meantime, BJP state general secretary Rahul Kothari filed an objection to Natarajan’s candidature with the RO, alleging that she had failed to fully disclose details of a case against her in the affidavit submitted with her nomination papers. Kothari was referring to a private complaint against various individuals pending before a court in Hyderabad.

Details of the case

The objection against Natarajan’s nomination traces back to a criminal case registered in Telangana in 2022. The case arose from a complaint filed by a former associate of a senior Congress politician, alleging that she had been subjected to a pattern of abuse, coercion, intimidation and exploitation during the course of a personal relationship spanning several months. This case is currently at the stage of consideration of charges.

Although Natarajan has not been named in this case, her name figures in a subsequent private complaint filed by the woman before the Hyderabad court in August 2025. Unlike the criminal cases that form the backdrop of the dispute, the private complaint is directed not only at the principal accused but also at a range of Congress office-bearers, legislators and functionaries whom the complainant accuses of shielding influential figures despite repeated complaints and ongoing legal proceedings.

By the time the complaint was filed, Natarajan had become the Congress’s Telangana in-charge. The complainant alleges that she personally raised the issue with Natarajan and sought disciplinary action against the principal accused.

According to the petition, Natarajan informed her that the accused had already been suspended from the party. “When asked for the letter, she did not respond,” the complaint alleges. That allegation would eventually form the basis for naming Natarajan as an accused in the private complaint.

The petition does not accuse Natarajan of participating in any of the underlying criminal acts alleged against the principal accused. Instead, it seeks to hold her responsible for what the complainant characterises as organisational inaction and the continued political advancement of individuals facing serious allegations.

When the matter came before the Hyderabad court, Natarajan filed a detailed response on October 24, 2025. She denied any wrongdoing and argued that she had been improperly dragged into a dispute in which she played no direct role.

The Congress also claimed that this was not a criminal case. Congress Rajya Sabha MP and senior lawyer Vivek Tankha said on X that only a legal notice had been received and no FIR had been filed.

RO Arvind Sharma, however, rejected Natarajan’s nomination. In his order, the RO recorded that Natarajan “submitted an incomplete affidavit in Form 26 and concealed material facts” related to the court case. “This amounts to withholding complete information about the candidate from voters, and it stands established that incomplete information was presented in lieu of full disclosure,” the order read.

Reasons for disqualification of RS candidature

A document on the EC’s website titled “Qualifications & Disqualifications for contesting elections to Parliament and State Legislature (except J & K), and documents and other requirements at the time of filing of nomination papers” states that the affidavit in Form 26 furnishes particulars relating to criminal antecedents, if any, (cases of convictions and all pending cases), details of PAN and status of filing of income tax return of self, spouse and dependents, details of the assets (movable and immovable etc.) and liabilities or dues of candidate, spouse and all dependents to government and public financial institutions, details of profession or occupation of candidate and spouse, and highest educational qualification of the candidate.

After her nomination was rejected, Natarajan said the BJP was indulging in “the politics of muzzling the democracy, constitution” to ensure elections to all three Rajya Sabha seats in Madhya Pradesh went their way.

“What was limited to vote theft, has now become seat theft… When they felt this was a united house and not the divided house, then in guise of legal notice, which was not taken cognisance, they challenged the election petition, both our  advocates presented the arguments, those were not heard, and the decision came. Their intention has become clear. This is not about one candidature, there is a serious situation in the country. We will challenge this,” she said during a press interaction.

The EC is scheduled to meet a Congress delegation at noon on Wednesday.