Leaders from the Congress and Shiv Sena-UBT voiced criticism over the rejection of Meenakshi Natarajan’s Rajya Sabha nomination. They labeled the move as undemocratic, questioning the fairness of the electoral process. Shiv Sena-UBT spokesperson Anand Dubey expressed concerns, stating that the rejection indicated a predetermined selection process rather than a fair election. Congress leader Sachin Pilot also condemned the rejection, calling it unfortunate and raising doubts about the grounds for refusal.
Congress MP Tanuj Punia highlighted the potential damage to democratic institutions due to such rejections. He emphasized the need to uphold democratic principles and expressed worry about the credibility of the democratic system. Meanwhile, the Congress party has taken legal action by approaching the Supreme Court to challenge the dismissal of Natarajan’s nomination. The apex court has scheduled a hearing on the matter for Friday, following objections raised by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) against Natarajan’s nomination papers.
The rejection was based on allegations that Natarajan did not disclose information about a legal case in Telangana in her nomination affidavit. The objections stemmed from a petition by A. Srilatha, accusing Natarajan of providing political support to an individual facing serious allegations. Natarajan dismissed these claims as a political conspiracy and refuted the allegations in court. Earlier, Natarajan had criticized the Returning Officers, accusing them of being influenced by the government in their decisions.
