Supreme Court Rejects Meenakshi Natarajan’s Plea Over Rajya Sabha Nomination

The Supreme Court has dismissed a petition filed by senior Congress leader Meenakshi Natarajan challenging the rejection of her nomination papers for the Rajya Sabha by-election in Madhya Pradesh. A bench ruled that her plea was not maintainable under Article 32 of the Constitution, dealing a significant blow to the Congress party's electoral prospects in the state. With Natarajan out of the running, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate, Mahesh Kewat, is positioned to be elected unopposed alongside the party's primary nominees, Tarun Chugh and Rajneesh Agrawal.

“We are not inclined to entertain this petition and it is hereby dismissed”, the Court said.

Why Was Meenakshi Natarajan's Nomination Rejected?

The disqualification occurred during the scrutiny phase after BJP candidate Mahesh Kewat and BJP State General Secretary Rahul Kothari lodged a formal complaint with the Returning Officer. Represented by legal counsel Sanket Gupta, the BJP argued that Natarajan, a former MP from Mandsaur, had intentionally concealed details of an active legal matter in her election affidavit.

Records presented during the scrutiny showed that a case had been registered against Natarajan in Hyderabad, Telangana, in mid-2025 under provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), leading to the issuance of a judicial summons. The BJP contended that omitting an active summons or case violates clear Supreme Court directives and establishes a fatal technical deficiency in nomination filings.

"We Were Fighting Against the EC," Says Natarajan

Following the dismissal of her petition, Natarajan leveled sharp criticisms at the Election Commission (EC), accusing the institution of being deeply compromised and failing to provide transparency.

"No answers were given till 48 hours," Natarajan stated, noting that she was personally present during the online proceedings. "The Election Commission is so corrupt that it had given no statement. EC is compromised."

She further emphasised that the legal battle had shifted away from the state itself. "This is not a matter of the State of Madhya Pradesh. We were not fighting against the State of Madhya Pradesh, we were fighting against the EC," she added, pointing out that state lawyers stood up during the matter despite it not being a state issue.

Congress Madhya Pradesh in-charge, Harish Chaudhary, previously clarified that Natarajan had only received a show-cause notice rather than an active charge sheet, meaning it was technically unnecessary to declare it under EC guidelines. Senior Congress leaders, including KC Venugopal, Jairam Ramesh, and Bhupesh Baghel, had also sought an audience with the EC earlier but were unable to secure entry.

Legal Debates in the Top Court

Appearing for Natarajan, Senior Advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi argued that formal charges had not yet been framed in the Telangana case. Under the Representation of the People Act, Singhvi maintained that such an omission does not warrant the disqualification of a candidate. The bench, however, questioned Singhvi to provide precedents where the Supreme Court had overturned a Returning Officer's decision after the formal conclusion of the nomination window.

BJP's legal counsel, Advocate Sanket Gupta, clarified the legal realities of the dismissal. "The court has dismissed her petition under Article 329," Gupta stated. "The Supreme Court and High Courts do not interfere via writ petitions during this stage of the electoral cycle."

However, Gupta noted that the legal door is not entirely closed for the Congress leader, provided she follows the correct constitutional channel. "They can go to the bar as per the Article, but their writ petition has been rejected in the SC. Under Section 33A, Meenakshi Natarajan can still file a formal election petition in the High Court," he concluded.

The Supreme Court reiterated that Natarajan’s rights and contentions remain open, and its current dismissal will not prejudice any future election petition she chooses to file. For the current cycle, however, her Rajya Sabha run concludes at the nomination stage.

Opposing the Congress plea, Senior Advocate Mukul Rohatgi, representing the BJP candidate, argued that the rejection of a nomination paper does not amount to a violation of fundamental rights, meaning an Article 32 petition cannot apply. Rohatgi pointed to Article 329(b) of the Constitution, which bars judicial intervention mid-way through an ongoing electoral cycle. Citing landmark rulings like Mohinder Singh Gill, Rohatgi argued that any grievance regarding rejected papers must exclusively be addressed via an election petition before an appropriate tribunal after the polls conclude.

The proceedings also witnessed brief friction when the video link of the BJP counsel experienced a technical glitch, causing Solicitor General Tushar Mehta to intervene. Singhvi objected to the intervention of the Solicitor General and the participation of the Election Commission (EC), arguing that institutional bodies should not act as counsel for a single political side in candidate disputes.

Institutional Bias Allegations

The Supreme Court ultimately upheld the constitutional bar under Article 329(b), clarifying that while Natarajan remains free to file an election petition later, the court would not bypass established precedents to issue an interim intervention.

Following the verdict, Natarajan leveled sharp criticism at the Election Commission, alleging institutional collusion and bias. She questioned the presence of state lawyers during the hearings, asserting that the matter was not a state issue.

Congress Madhya Pradesh in-charge Harish Chaudhary defended Natarajan, stating she had only received a show-cause notice from the Telangana court rather than a formal charge sheet, which under EC rules did not necessitate disclosure as an active criminal case. Senior Congress leaders, including KC Venugopal and Bhupesh Baghel, reportedly sought an audience with the Election Commission regarding the issue but were unavailable to secure an entry.

Unopposed Elections in Other States

As the Madhya Pradesh battle concluded at the scrutiny phase, several Rajya Sabha candidates across other states secured their seats without a contest.

In Karnataka, three Congress candidates, party chief Mallikarjun Kharge, Mansoor Ali Khan, and Pawan Khera, were elected unopposed to the Upper House. From the same state, BJP leader M Nagaraja was also elected unanimously.

Meanwhile, in Rajasthan, BJP nominees Satish Poonia and Alka Gurjar, alongside Congress candidate Neeraj Dangi, were similarly elected unopposed to the Parliament.

Read More: Rajya Sabha Elections: BJP Bags All 3 Seats Unopposed In Madhya Pradesh After Meenakshi Natarajan's Nomination Junked