Congress nominee’s Rajya Sabha bid suffers major setback:Meenakshi Natarajan’s nomination rejected, Mahesh Kewat’s path to RS now appears clear

The nomination paper (form) of Congress candidate Meenakshi Natarajan for the Rajya Sabha elections in Madhya Pradesh has been rejected. Following this decision, while the Congress has termed it ‘murder of democracy’, the BJP is calling it completely justified. It should be noted that elections are to be held for three Rajya Sabha seats. Two seats are certain to go to the BJP. For the third seat, the BJP had declared Mahesh Kewat as its candidate. The contest was between Kewat and Meenakshi. Now, after the rejection of the nomination, Kewat’s path to the Rajya Sabha seems clear. What exactly happened in the Returning Officer’s closed room? Under what rule was Meenakshi Natarajan’s nomination rejected? And what are the legal complications in this decision? 2 PM to 6:30 PM: events in the returning officer’s room As per the scheduled program, the scrutiny of nomination papers for the Rajya Sabha elections took place on June 9. At 2 PM, the Returning Officer’s (RO) room in the assembly became bustling. RO’s Decision on Meenakshi Natarajan’s Nomination According to the Returning Officer, a private complaint (parivad) was filed against Meenakshi Natarajan in a Telangana court. The court had issued a summons on September 17, 2025, ordering her to appear. The Returning Officer made three points regarding this Final Decision: The order stated that an incomplete affidavit (Form 26) was submitted and crucial information was concealed. Therefore, the nomination was cancelled under point 10(xiii) of Chapter 6 of the Handbook. Expert View: Why are questions being raised on the decision? According to Bhagwandev Israni, former Principal Secretary of the Assembly, the decision to cancel the nomination cannot be considered entirely correct according to the rules. He pointed out three legal complications based on the handbook. What legal options does Congress now have? Option 1: Congress can demand a review from the Election Commission. It can argue that this was merely a private complaint, not an FIR. Therefore, it was not necessary to disclose this information in the affidavit. Option 2: Congress can challenge the Returning Officer’s (RO) order by filing a petition in the High Court. This is considered the fastest and most effective legal method. Option 3: After the election and results, Congress can challenge the outcome through an Election Petition. However, this will take more time.