A dispute over a rejected Rajya Sabha nomination in Madhya Pradesh has now reached the Jabalpur bench of the High Court. Senior Congress leader and former Member of Parliament Meenakshi Natarajan reached Jabalpur on Tuesday and filed an election petition challenging the order that cancelled her nomination. She said the petition was filed well within the 45 day deadline prescribed for such challenges, meaning there was no procedural delay on her part.
The Background of the Dispute
The matter concerns Madhya Pradesh's third Rajya Sabha seat, for which the Congress had fielded Meenakshi Natarajan as its candidate. The party also had adequate numerical strength to back her candidacy. However, on June 9, during scrutiny of nomination papers, her form was rejected, a decision that undercut the party's claim on the seat.
Questions Raised Over the Election Commission
Meenakshi Natarajan has directly questioned the conduct of Election Commission officials involved in the process. She alleged that the officials were "compromised" while handling the matter. According to her, the issue that was cited as the basis for rejecting her objection was never actually taken into cognizance anywhere during the process. She also clarified that neither any Congress leader nor anyone who filled out the nomination form was at fault for its rejection. Advocate Aryan Gupta will now represent her before the High Court.
Supreme Court Had Already Declined to Intervene
This is not the first time Meenakshi Natarajan has challenged the decision in court. She had earlier approached the Supreme Court directly with a writ petition against the cancellation of her nomination. However, the Supreme Court declined to hear that writ petition, stating that such election related disputes cannot be taken up directly through a writ plea. The court had advised her that if she had objections to the decision, she should file a proper election petition through the due process laid down by law. It was on the basis of that advice that she has now approached the Jabalpur High Court.
Natarajan Hopes for Justice
Meenakshi Natarajan said she expects the High Court to deliver justice in her case. She added that she will continue her fight to protect her rights as well as the democratic process.
