The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) secured all three Rajya Sabha seats from Madhya Pradesh unopposed after the nomination papers of Congress candidate Meenakshi Natarajan were rejected during the scrutiny process, effectively ending what was expected to be a closely watched contest, according to NDTV. The Election Commission subsequently issued certificates of election to BJP candidates Tarun Chugh, Rajneesh Agrawal and Mahesh Kevat after no opposition candidates remained in the race following scrutiny and the withdrawal deadline.
The Congress had fielded former MP Meenakshi Natarajan for the third seat and maintained that it had sufficient legislative support to ensure her victory. However, her nomination was rejected by the returning officer on June 9. The Congress party has legally challenged the rejection, calling the decision unlawful, arbitrary, and biased. In its petition, the party is demanding that the disqualification of Meenakshi Natarajan's nomination papers be set aside to allow her back into the contest.
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The BJP had objected to her candidature, reported NDTV, alleging that she failed to disclose a pending court matter in Hyderabad in her election affidavit. Congress leaders disputed the claim, arguing that the matter involved only a defamation notice and did not require disclosure under election rules. Congress sought an urgent Supreme Court hearing via advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, requesting result declarations be paused before the nomination withdrawal deadline.
Noting settled laws, the court refused the immediate freeze, gave the Election Commission time to respond, and listed the matter for Friday. Senior Congress leaders, including Digvijaya Singh and state Congress chief Jitu Patwari, described the rejection as unconstitutional and alleged bias on the part of the Election Commission, calling the move a "seat theft". The party continues to seek legal remedies against the decision. Before the controversy, Congress had reportedly prepared to move its MLAs to a resort in Bengaluru to prevent possible cross-voting and horse-trading in the election.
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