Meenakshi Natarajan's Rajya Sabha Nomination Cancelled; Major Blow To Congress Ahead Of Polls

New Delhi: Congress has suffered a major blow ahead of the Rajya Sabha elections in Madhya Pradesh. Party candidate Meenakshi Natarajan's nomination is cancelled. BJP had raised an objection. The charge were that she hid details of a criminal case filed against her in Telangana. The Returning Officer accepted it. Nomination cancelled. Election is on June 18. Minister Rakesh Singh confirmed it.

What was the BJP's Objection?

Kailash Vijayvargiya and Minister Rakesh Singh went to the assembly. They filed a formal objection against Natarajan's nomination. Their argument was simple. She did not mention a case registered against her in Telangana. The Returning Officer agreed and cancelled her papers.

What will be the change, now?

BJP had put up Mahesh Kevat as its third candidate. With Natarajan gone, Kevat's win is nearly certain. He responded to the news with, "Truth has won."

How Congress reacts?

Congress is angry. Leaders called it an attack on democracy. They say the Returning Officer acted under political pressure. The party says the opposition is being pushed out of the Rajya Sabha race deliberately.

The Bangalore plan that backfired?

Congress had already moved its MLAs to Bangalore. That is 1,443 kilometres from Bhopal. The plan was to keep them away from BJP's reach and stop any cross-voting. Now with no candidate in the race, those MLAs made a very long trip for nothing.