The rejection of the Rajya Sabha nomination of Meenakshi Natarajan from Madhya Pradesh has sparked a significant political dispute between the Indian National Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party, centering on whether she failed to disclose a pending court matter in her election affidavit.
The controversy originates from a private complaint filed in Hyderabad by a former Congress worker from Telangana. The complainant alleged that she was harassed and molested by a fellow party member and that senior Congress leaders failed to take action despite repeated appeals. Among those named in the complaint was Meenakshi Natarajan, not for involvement in the alleged harassment itself, but for allegedly failing to act after being informed about the matter.
According to the complainant, the dispute began in 2022 when she reported allegations of harassment against a party colleague. She claimed that she approached various Congress leaders and sought disciplinary action, but was repeatedly ignored. She further alleged that the accused enjoyed influence within the party due to family connections in the bureaucracy and that efforts were made to suppress her complaints.
The complainant stated that when Natarajan became the Congress in-charge for Telangana, she personally met her and requested intervention. According to her account, Natarajan assured her that action would be taken and suggested that the accused had been suspended. However, the complainant maintains that no formal suspension order was ever produced and that the issue remained unresolved.
In September 2025, the woman approached a Hyderabad magistrate's court through a private complaint. Along with the individual accused of molestation, she named several Congress leaders, including Natarajan, alleging that they failed to act despite being informed of the allegations. The complaint does not accuse Natarajan of committing the alleged harassment but focuses on her alleged inaction as a senior party functionary.
The Hyderabad court subsequently issued a notice to Natarajan seeking her response. Congress leaders argue that this notice was issued as part of preliminary proceedings and does not constitute a criminal case against her. They maintain that no criminal charges have been framed and that the matter remains at an initial stage of judicial examination.
The nomination dispute arose during scrutiny of nominations for the June 18 Rajya Sabha elections in Madhya Pradesh. BJP candidate Mahesh Kewat objected to Natarajan's nomination, arguing that she failed to disclose the Hyderabad court matter in her affidavit. After considering the objection, election authorities rejected her nomination, concluding that relevant information had not been disclosed.
Congress has strongly contested the decision. The party argues that a court notice issued in connection with a private complaint does not amount to a pending criminal case requiring disclosure under election rules. Party leaders have described the rejection as politically motivated and have challenged the decision before the Election Commission of India.
The issue has become particularly significant because it affects the electoral arithmetic in the Madhya Pradesh Rajya Sabha election. With Natarajan's nomination rejected, the BJP's path to securing all three available Rajya Sabha seats from the state has become considerably easier.
Election law experts note that candidates are required to disclose pending criminal matters and other relevant information in Form 26 affidavits. The core legal question now is whether a notice issued in a private complaint at a preliminary stage qualifies as a matter that must be disclosed. The answer to that question is likely to determine the outcome of the Congress party's challenge before the Election Commission and any subsequent legal proceedings.
