Andhra Pradesh Congress leaders have strongly condemned the rejection of senior Congress leader Meenakshi Natarajan’s Rajya Sabha nomination from Madhya Pradesh.
The party argued that there is no FIR, criminal case, or chargesheet against Natarajan and described the decision as unfair and damaging to women's representation.
Congress leaders accused the Election Commission of applying double standards, claiming that a candidate in Jharkhand was given 24 hours to correct nomination-related issues while Natarajan received no such opportunity.
The Andhra Pradesh Congress has strongly condemned the rejection of senior Congress leader Meenakshi Natarajan’s Rajya Sabha nomination from Madhya Pradesh, alleging that the decision reflects inconsistency and discrimination in the scrutiny of nomination papers.
At a meeting held at Andhra Ratna Bhavan in Vijayawada, party leaders criticised the Election Commission’s handling of the matter and described the rejection as unjust. The meeting was chaired by former MLA Mastan Vali and attended by several state Congress leaders, who voiced concern over what they termed an unfair application of electoral rules.
Speaking at the gathering, party leaders argued that there was no legal basis for rejecting Natarajan’s candidature. They pointed out that no FIR, criminal case, or chargesheet has been filed against the Congress leader and questioned the circumstances under which her nomination was invalidated.
The leaders further alleged that the Election Commission had adopted different standards in similar cases. Referring to an instance involving a candidate from Jharkhand, they claimed that the individual was given 24 hours to rectify deficiencies in nomination papers. In contrast, they said, Natarajan was not provided a similar opportunity to address any issues that may have arisen during the scrutiny process.
According to the Congress leaders, such discrepancies undermine confidence in the electoral system and create doubts about the fairness of procedures governing elections to the Upper House of Parliament. They maintained that all candidates should be treated equally and given the same opportunity to comply with procedural requirements.
The Andhra Pradesh Congress also described the rejection as an affront to women in public life. Party representatives argued that denying a senior woman leader a fair chance to contest sends the wrong message at a time when greater participation of women in politics is being encouraged across the country.
The controversy has sparked political debate within Congress circles, with party leaders demanding greater transparency in the scrutiny and approval of nomination papers. They urged the Election Commission to clarify the reasons behind the rejection and explain why Natarajan was allegedly denied the opportunity to rectify any deficiencies in her documents.
Reiterating their support for Natarajan, Congress leaders said the party would continue to raise the issue and seek accountability. They stressed that electoral institutions must function with complete impartiality and ensure that rules are applied uniformly to all candidates, irrespective of their political affiliation.
