India
oi-Ashish Rana
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Thursday won all three Rajya Sabha seats from Madhya Pradesh unopposed after Congress leader Meenakshi Natarajan’s nomination papers were rejected, eliminating the need for voting scheduled on June 18.
BJP candidates Tarun Chugh, Rajneesh Agrawal, and Mahesh Kewat were elected unopposed to Rajya Sabha seats from Madhya Pradesh after Congress nominee Meenakshi Natarajan’s nomination was rejected; her challenge against the decision is now before the Supreme Court.
With the deadline for withdrawal of nominations ending at 3 pm on Thursday, BJP candidates Tarun Chugh, Rajneesh Agrawal and Mahesh Kewat remained the only contestants, clearing the way for their unopposed election to the Upper House.
Rejection Of Nomination Decisive In Outcome
The BJP’s strength in the 230-member Madhya Pradesh Assembly had already made the election of Tarun Chugh and Rajneesh Agrawal almost certain. However, the third seat was expected to witness a contest between BJP nominee Mahesh Kewat and Congress candidate Meenakshi Natarajan.
The equation changed after Natarajan’s nomination was rejected by the Returning Officer.
Kewat had challenged her nomination, alleging that she failed to disclose details of a criminal case registered against her in Telangana while filing her nomination papers. Following the rejection, the BJP effectively secured all three seats without a contest.
Supreme Court To Hear Natarajan’s Challenge
The dispute has now reached the Supreme Court, where Natarajan has challenged the Returning Officer’s decision.
Senior Advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi mentioned the matter before a bench of Justices PK Mishra and Atul S. Chandurkar, seeking urgent intervention and an early hearing.
The court agreed to hear the plea on June 12.
During the mention, Singhvi argued that the rejection was unjustified, stating, “Only a summons was issued (against her), not even a cognisance of the case. The Returning Officer disqualifies her.”
Plea Alleges Illegal And Arbitrary Action
According to the petition, the Returning Officer acted illegally, arbitrarily and with bias while rejecting Natarajan’s nomination papers.
The plea seeks immediate cancellation of the rejection order and restoration of her candidature.
Although polling for the Rajya Sabha seats was originally scheduled for June 18, the completion of the nomination withdrawal process and the absence of any remaining rival candidates resulted in all three BJP nominees being elected unopposed.
The Supreme Court’s hearing on Friday is now expected to determine the next legal course in the matter.
