Meenakshi rules out Rajya Sabha seat from TG

Metro India News | Hyderabad 

AICC Telangana in-charge Meenakshi Natarajan on Sunday clarified that she would not accept a Rajya Sabha seat from Telangana under any circumstances, stating that any opportunity for her candidature should come from her home state of Madhya Pradesh.

Addressing a press conference at Gandhi Bhavan along with TPCC president Mahesh Kumar Goud and AICC secretary Sachin Sawant, Natarajan said there was no need for any resignation or political adjustment in Telangana to accommodate her in the Upper House.

Reacting to the rejection of her Rajya Sabha nomination in Madhya Pradesh, she alleged that the BJP had acted in collusion with election authorities after realising that cross-voting in the election was unlikely. She claimed the Congress was in a strong position to win the seat, requiring only 58 votes, and accused the BJP of attempting to block her candidature through procedural means.

Natarajan questioned why she was denied an opportunity to rectify alleged deficiencies in her nomination papers. Referring to an independent candidate, Nathwani, who was supported by the BJP in Jharkhand, she said he had been given 24 hours to correct his nomination under the 2023 rulebook, whereas she was not afforded a similar chance under the 2026 rules.

Explaining the grounds cited for rejecting her nomination, Natarajan said the issue related to a legal notice in a case with which she had no direct connection. She argued that a legal notice could not be treated as a criminal case and pointed out that nomination forms do not contain a separate column for declaring legal notices. The Congress leader alleged that the rejection of her nomination was part of a larger political conspiracy. She further claimed that attempts were being made to create a narrative linking Telangana Congress leaders to the controversy. According to her, the episode reflected a broader pattern of political interference and raised concerns about the functioning of democratic institutions.