Congress leader and AICC Telangana in-charge Meenakshi Natarajan has firmly dismissed any notion of internal sabotage within her party following the dramatic rejection of her Rajya Sabha nomination from Madhya Pradesh earlier this month, insisting that her party leadership bears no responsibility for the setback.
Ms. Natarajan’s nomination papers were turned down by the Returning Officer on June 9 after objections raised by a BJP candidate, who alleged that she had failed to disclose details of a private complaint and court notice related to a case in Hyderabad in her election affidavit. The rejection paved the way for all three Rajya Sabha seats from the state to go to the BJP unopposed, triggering sharp accusations of political interference from the Congress.
In a recent press interaction, Ms. Natarajan categorically stated that there was no conspiracy from within the Congress party. She pointed fingers instead at the Returning Officers and the Election Commission, claiming they acted under pressure, and accused the BJP of engineering the rejection to subvert democratic norms. ‘There is no conspiracy. The conspiracy theory of the Congress Party is being floated by the BJP,’ she remarked, adding that the move was part of a larger effort to undermine democratic values.
The senior leader, known for her close association with Rahul Gandhi, emphasized that the objection was based on frivolous grounds involving a private complaint where she was merely named as a respondent and not an accused in any criminal FIR. She highlighted that two Returning Officers had opposed her candidature despite what she described as technical compliance.
Congress had strongly protested the decision, approaching both the Election Commission and the Supreme Court. However, the apex court declined to interfere, citing legal bars on judicial intervention during the election process. The party continues to describe the episode as a blatant attack on democratic processes.
Ms. Natarajan also ruled out any immediate plans to contest from Telangana for a Rajya Sabha seat, reiterating her commitment to entering Parliament from her home state of Madhya Pradesh. She expressed confidence in continuing her organisational responsibilities in Telangana without distraction from the recent controversy.