Congress accuses BJP, ECI of 'seat chori' in MP Rajya Sabha polls

Congress accused the BJP and ECI of conspiring to reject Meenakshi Natarajan's Rajya Sabha nomination in Madhya Pradesh. The party alleges this was a 'seat chori' ploy for the BJP to win a third seat for which it lacked the required MLAs.

The Congress on Friday accused the BJP of orchestrating the rejection of senior party leader Meenakshi Natarajan's Rajya Sabha nomination in Madhya Pradesh to secure a third Rajya Sabha seat despite allegedly lacking the required numbers in the Assembly.

'Seat Chori' Allegations

In a statement, the Congress alleged that the BJP and the Election Commission of India (ECI) were "partners in crime" in the latest instance of "'seat chori'". "The BJP and the ECI are partners in crime in this latest instance of 'seat chori'," the statement said, alleging that the poll body acted in a partisan manner to help the ruling party.

The party claimed that the BJP was "10 MLAs short" of the number required to win a third Rajya Sabha seat in Madhya Pradesh, but still fielded an official candidate. According to the Congress, when it became evident that the BJP would not be able to break the Congress Legislature Party in the state through "horse-trading or other means", it resorted to "underhand tricks" to ensure the cancellation of Natarajan's nomination. "The cancellation of Natarajan's nomination is purely the result of a conspiracy to ensure that the BJP wins a third Rajya Sabha seat for which it did not have the democratic mandate," the statement said.

Dispute Over Nomination Form

The party contended that Natarajan had correctly filled Form 26, marking "Not Applicable" in the column relating to pending criminal cases since no court had taken cognisance of any alleged offence against her. It alleged that the Returning Officer invalidated her nomination based on an alleged non-disclosure linked to a legal notice issued in connection with a private complaint filed in Hyderabad.

"There is no criminal case that is currently pending against the candidate. A random complaint has been made before a Court, but the Court has also not taken any cognisance of an offence alleged on her," the statement said. The party stated that "there is no valid reason or technical grounds for the RO to demand that the candidate submit any details under the column of pending criminal cases."

The Congress further alleged that the Returning Officer had incorrectly stated that the court had taken cognisance of the alleged offence, maintaining that the notice served on Natarajan was only intended to provide her an opportunity to be heard before cognisance could be taken.

ECI Accused of 'Double Standards'

The party also accused the ECI of applying "double standards" by treating Natarajan's case differently from that of Rajya Sabha candidate Parimal Nathwani in Jharkhand. According to the statement, Nathwani's nomination papers contained discrepancies, including alleged omissions in Form 26 disclosures, but he was allowed to clarify and rectify the issues. "Parimal Nathwani... has been given all the opportunity to clarify and fix errors in his own Form 26 submission," the Congress said, adding that "when it comes to the Prime Minister's friends, norms and precedents are tossed aside in favour of expedience."

Political Turmoil and Protests

Political turmoil across the circles of Madhya Pradesh rose earlier this week after the electoral authorities cancelled the nomination of Congress' Rajya Sabha candidate Meenakshi Natarajan due to alleged irregularities in her affidavit.

The Congress, earlier in the day, held a 'Satyagraha' against the Election Commission of India (ECI) at the Jantar Mantar over the issue. (ANI)

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