The Supreme Court declined to intervene in Congress leader Meenakshi Natarajan’s nomination rejection for the Rajya Sabha elections from Madhya Pradesh. The court stated that the proper recourse for a rejected candidate is to approach the Election Commission for redress. Natarajan’s legal representative argued that the rejection was unjustified as the alleged case did not meet the disclosure criteria under election laws.
Senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, representing Natarajan, contended that the case against her did not fulfill the legal requirements for disclosure as per the Representation of the People Act and Form 26. He emphasized that the incident in question was a private complaint without any court cognisance. Singhvi highlighted that the incident occurred before Natarajan’s appointment as the Congress in-charge for Telangana, making any association legally baseless.
The Supreme Court emphasized that the challenge pertained to the Returning Officer’s decision and advised Natarajan to seek recourse through the Election Commission. The court concluded that Natarajan is free to approach the Election Commission again for resolution. The rejection of Natarajan’s nomination has sparked a political clash in Madhya Pradesh, with the BJP securing three seats uncontested after the withdrawal deadline passed.
