Hyderabad: Senior Congress leader Meenakshi Natarajan on Sunday, June 21, alleged that the BJP and the Election Commission colluded to ensure the rejection of her nomination for the Rajya Sabha election from Madhya Pradesh.
Addressing a press conference here, Natarajan, who is AICC in-charge of party affairs in Telangana, accused the BJP of “filing nomination” for third RS seat in Madhya Pradesh with an intention of indulging in “foul play”, though the saffron party did not have required numbers needed for victory of its third candidate.
The Congress had nominated Natarajan as its sole candidate for the June 18 Rajya Sabha elections from Madhya Pradesh.
An order issued by Rajya Sabha Election Returning Officer Arvind Sharma said after examining the available documents, it was found that Natarajan had submitted an incomplete affidavit, omitting a court complaint in Form 26 submitted with her nomination.
According to a Madhya Pradesh Assembly official, the ruling BJP candidate, Mahesh Kewat, filed a complaint with the returning officer, alleging that Natarajan had not mentioned in her affidavit a case registered against her in Telangana.
After the scrutiny of papers, the returning officer on June 11 declared all the three BJP candidates elected unopposed.
The Supreme Court on June 12 dismissed Natarajan’s plea against rejection of her nomination papers for the Rajya Sabha election from Madhya Pradesh while granting her liberty to raise the challenge in an election petition.
Natarajan said after her candidature was announced for RS seat and after seeing the Congress party together, the BJP realised that it cannot resort to “horse trading” or “fear tactic” and they (BJP) “conspired” with Election Commission’s Returning Officers.
“The (Congress) party had come together and that’s why they (BJP) decided to do get (her) election nomination rejected and completed it,” Natarajan said.
“I say with full responsibility that both the Returning Officers were compromised and the Election Commission of India is compromised,” she claimed.
Natarajan said her nomination was rejected on June 9 by the Returning Officers, stating that a court in Hyderabad had taken cognisance of a case when actually it did not.
She maintained that there was no criminal case against her, but it was a legal notice (sent) on a private complaint which was in the pre-cognisance stage.
There was no provision in the Form 26 for mentioning about pending legal notices, Natarajan argued and said she had informed the Returning Officers about the pending notice and also that she had replied to the notice.
Natarajan claimed that when a delegation of Congress leaders approached the ECI on June 10, but it did not take any decision following which they approached the Supreme Court.
She said they will file an election petition in the MP High Court.
Natarajan rejects claims of internal conspiracy
Asked about reports of conspiracy within the Congress over her nomination, she accused the BJP of “planting malicious theories”.
“I don’t buy any of these theories. They made allegation that there is some or the other conspiracy so that we cannot raise question against Election Commission and the BJP Entire (Congress) party is united. All these conspiracy theories are bogus, completely baseless,” she said.
She dismissed the reports suggesting that a Congress RS member from Telangana would resign to accommodate her.
Natarajan further alleged that “the BJP has now proceeded towards party ‘chori’. Because they want to take ‘One Nation One Party’ and make mockery of democracy. This is the larger issue.”
A court in Hyderabad, on June 12, had turned down a petition filed by a woman relating to “molestation” and intimidation, in which Natarajan was made a respondent, and suggested approaching a relevant court.
In the petition, the woman had accused a Congress leader, of “physically molesting and making life threats to her” on which an FIR was also registered.
Natarajan said she and the Congress party stand with the aggrieved woman.
The Congress party had removed him from the post of DCC president on moral ground and moral responsibility and subsequently he was suspended from the party, Natarajan said.
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