Enormous row after Congress candidate Meenakshi Natarajan’s RS nomination rejected in Madhya Pradesh
Congress chief Meenakshi Natarajan’s nomination for one of many three Rajya Sabha seats in Madhya Pradesh was rejected on Tuesday, PTI reported. Her papers have been dismissed over allegations of concealing data associated to a authorized case in her affidavit, the information company stated.
“Natarajan’s nomination has been rejected by the Returning Officer on the grounds of hiding details about a case,” an MP Meeting official informed PTI.
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Meenakshi Natarajan claims ‘seat chori’
Congress chief Meenakshi Natarajan alleged that the BJP is “muzzling democracy and the Structure,” saying that what was earlier restricted to “vote theft” has now turn out to be “seat theft.” She stated, “When the variety of members was not sufficient, and the BJP fielded third candidate, it began from there, and we began to know that they’re doing the politics of muzzling the democracy, structure.”
She added, “What was restricted to vote theft, has now turn out to be seat theft… Once they felt this was a united home and never the divided home, then in guise of authorized discover, which was not taken cognisance, they challenged the election petition, our each the advocated offered the arguments, these weren’t heard, and the choice got here.”
Natarajan additional stated, “Their intention has turn out to be clear. This isn’t about one candidature, there’s a critical state of affairs within the nation. We’ll problem this.”
Congress leaders erupt
Congress normal secretary KC Venugopalin a submit on X, strongly criticised the rejection. He referred to as Meenakshi Natarajan’s Rajya Sabha nomination a “blatant try” by the BJP to undermine the democratic course of in a clandestine method.
He dismissed the allegations of error or non-disclosure in her nomination papers as “full humbug” and a “determined try” to grab a seat from the Congress get together.
Venugopal alleged that the choice got here after the BJP realised its “soiled tips” to affect Congress MLAs have been failing, and accused the ruling get together of stooping to new lows in political conduct.
He additional stated the transfer displays the BJP’s “hole dedication” to the Structure and democracy, alleging that the get together is “hell-bent on vote chori” in a single type or one other.
Calling the event a “daylight theft of democracy,” he asserted that the Congress is not going to settle for it quietly and can battle the matter each legally and politically, together with on the streets, “tooth-and-nail.”
Social gathering MLA Yadvendra Singh informed PTI, “At the moment, once we went to airport, flights weren’t allowed to function. From there itself, I felt how low these individuals can go. After that, it’s a very surprising incident {that a} candidate’s type has been rejected…We nonetheless don’t have full data. All we all know is that the shape has been rejected.”
Congress’ sachin Pilot stated, “By no means within the democratic historical past of the nation, a nomination paper was rejected with out stating the explanation, there isn’t any FIR, chargesheet towards our candidate. Nevertheless it was executed intentionally, we requested for time, we got here right here to file the applying, they aren’t permitting us inside, the ECI just isn’t assembly us, whom we are going to complain? The seat which we have been profitable, our nomination was cancelled. There isn’t a one to take heed to us. We’ll go to courtroom… We really feel there’s a conspiracy, the ECI must examine.”
Congress chief Bhupesh Baghel informed ANI, “The credibility of the Election Fee has been shattered; the Returning Officer (RO) gave us a time of 5:30 PM, but the Election Fee workplace closes at 5:30 PM. If we’re dissatisfied with the RO’s resolution, the place are we imagined to submit an enchantment? To the Election Fee, nevertheless it shuts at 5:30 PM. We needed to fulfill somebody, however there was nobody accessible. We needed to stage a sit-in protest simply to submit our software, and solely then was it accepted. We’ll proceed after in search of authorized recommendation.”
Why Meenakshi Natarajan’s RS nomination was rejected
A criticism was filed by BJP candidate Mahesh Kevat, who’s contesting the third Rajya Sabha seat, earlier than the Returning Officer, alleging that Congress candidate Meenakshi Natarajan had intentionally hidden details about a legal case pending towards her in Telangana.
Sanket Gupta, the lawyer representing Kevat, informed reporters that the case is at present being heard in a Telangana courtroom however was not disclosed in Natarajan’s nomination affidavit.
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He stated the Returning Officer rejected her nomination on this foundation. Gupta alleged that the knowledge was deliberately hid and identified that Supreme Court docket tips require full disclosure of such particulars in election affidavits.
He added that Kevat had already filed an objection towards her candidature on this floor and claimed that a number of different deficiencies have been additionally present in her nomination papers, as per PTI.
Leaders go to EC to complain towards the rejection
Congress leaders Jairam Ramesh and Sachin Pilot visited the Election Fee workplace to file a criticism towards the rejection.
Congress alleges BJP harassment
Congress’s Madhya Pradesh in-charge Harish Chaudhary claimed that no legal case has been filed towards Meenakshi Natarajan and accused the BJP of elevating such points to harass her, PTI reported.
He stated Natarajan had solely obtained a show-cause discover from the courtroom and that it was not required to be talked about within the nomination affidavit.
Chaudhary added that Election Fee guidelines make it clear that disclosure is required solely when a case is formally filed, not on the stage of discover, and subsequently her nomination can’t be rejected, he stated.
