Madhya Pradesh BJP President Hemant Khandelwal stated that the BJP was not responsible for the rejection of Congress leader Meenakshi Natarajan’s Rajya Sabha nomination. He emphasized that any internal issues within the Congress should be addressed by the party itself. Khandelwal clarified that as the BJP was not in power in Telangana, they were not involved in providing any documents related to the nomination.
His remarks came following the Congress labeling the rejection as a “murder of democracy” and a “theft of the seat.” A Congress delegation, led by Abhishek Manu Singhvi, met with the Election Commission in Delhi to challenge the decision. Singhvi criticized the Returning Officer’s ruling, stating that it lacked legal basis and should be overturned. He highlighted that Natarajan had no criminal cases to disclose, and the rejection was unjustified.
Singhvi further explained that the Election Commission rejected Natarajan’s nomination due to the absence of any criminal case against her that required disclosure. The Congress delegation, including prominent members like Jairam Ramesh and Sachin Pilot, expressed their concerns to the Election Commission. Singhvi stressed the need for the EC to rectify the decision promptly to ensure a fair electoral process.
The rejection of Natarajan’s nomination by the Returning Officer of the Madhya Pradesh Legislative Assembly sparked protests by Congress workers in the state. Demonstrations were held in various locations, with party leaders staging sit-ins to demand a review of the decision. The Congress workers’ protests underscored their dissatisfaction with the handling of the nomination issue, calling for immediate corrective action.
