In a major setback for the Congress ahead of the Rajya Sabha elections, the nomination of Meenakshi Natarajan from Madhya Pradesh has been rejected during the scrutiny process, ending the contest for the state's third Rajya Sabha seat. With the rejection of Natarajan's nomination, the BJP's Mahesh Kevat has been elected unopposed.
After a thorough scrutiny, the Returning Officer has rejected the nomination form of the Congress candidate. According to reports, Natarajan had withheld information regarding a pending criminal case in a Hyderabad court in her nomination papers. The timeline of events revealed by the obtained court documents has sent shockwaves through the Congress camp.
Chronology of events: A timeline
- May 11, 2025 (Date of the alleged offense): The case was registered based on a complaint filed by the complainant, A. Srilatha.
- August 20, 2025 (Complaint filed): A. Srilatha filed a formal complaint (Complaint No. of 2025) against Meenakshi Natarajan (Accused No. 4) and others in the court of the 'Fourth Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate' in Hyderabad. The complaint leveled charges against Natarajan under Sections 356, 61, 45, 46, 351(2), 3(5), and 79 of the BNS Act.
- September 17, 2025 (Judicial summons issued): Taking the gravity of the matter into account, the court issued a 'Notice to Respondent' to Meenakshi Natarajan. The summons strictly directed her to appear before the court in person and file her response.
- October 24, 2025 (Natarajan's response): Counsel for Meenakshi Natarajan submitted a counter-affidavit to the court. In this response, she asserted her innocence, characterized the entire complaint as being motivated by "political vendetta," and sought its dismissal.
- November 17, 2025 (Date of hearing): The court did not dismiss the case; instead, it initiated the hearing process, which remains ongoing.
BJP's Mahesh Kevat elected unopposed
With the Congress candidate out of the fray, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate Mahesh Kevat has been declared elected unopposed to the Rajya Sabha, marking a significant political victory for the BJP and a major blow to the Congress in Madhya Pradesh.
Mahesh Kevat is a seasoned party functionary with a long organisational background in the BJP. He has previously served as District Vice President in Tikamgarh, District Minister in Tikamgarh, and has also been associated with the party’s national executive committee.
The BJP was comfortably positioned to win two Rajya Sabha seats from Madhya Pradesh based on its strength in the 230-member Assembly, while the Congress was expected to secure one seat. A candidate requires 58 first-preference votes to be elected.
With 164 MLAs, the BJP had enough numbers to easily win two seats and was still left with 48 surplus votes. To secure a third seat, however, the party needed cross-voting or support from legislators outside its own ranks, making the contest politically significant and causing concern within the Congress camp.
The Congress has 63 MLAs in the Assembly, but two legislators---Rajendra Bharti and Mukesh Malhotra----are ineligible to vote in the Rajya Sabha election. This effectively reduces the party's voting strength to 61, making the contest for the third seat even more challenging.
Also Read: MP Rajya Sabha race: BJP fields third nominee; is trouble brewing for Congress' Meenakshi Natarajan?
