MP High Court Issues Notice on Congress Leader Meenakshi Natarajan’s Plea Challenging Rejection of Rajya Sabha Nomination
The Madhya Pradesh High Court has issued notices to the Election Commission of India, the Returning Officer and the newly elected Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Rajya Sabha members on an election petition filed by senior Congress leader Meenakshi Natarajan, who has challenged the rejection of her nomination papers for the recent Rajya Sabha elections from Madhya Pradesh. The Court has sought responses from all respondents before proceeding to examine the legality of the Returning Officer’s decision.
Natarajan’s nomination was rejected during scrutiny after objections were raised alleging that she had failed to disclose a pending criminal case before a court in Telangana in the affidavit accompanying her nomination papers. The Returning Officer held that the alleged non-disclosure amounted to concealment of material information, rendering the nomination invalid under the provisions governing election affidavits. The rejection effectively left the Congress without a candidate in the Rajya Sabha contest from the State.
Before approaching the High Court, Natarajan had unsuccessfully challenged the rejection before the Supreme Court. The apex court declined to interfere during the election process, reiterating the constitutional bar against judicial intervention once the electoral process has commenced. However, it granted her liberty to pursue the statutory remedy of an election petition under the Representation of the People Act, paving the way for the present proceedings before the Madhya Pradesh High Court.
In her election petition, Natarajan has contended that the Returning Officer acted illegally and contrary to the provisions of the Representation of the People Act by rejecting her nomination. She has argued that there was no deliberate suppression of material facts and that the rejection deprived both her and the electorate of a fair electoral contest. The petition seeks to have the rejection declared illegal and the consequential Rajya Sabha election set aside.
Taking cognizance of the petition, the High Court issued notices to the Chief Election Commissioner, the Returning Officer (Principal Secretary of the Madhya Pradesh Legislative Assembly) and the BJP candidates declared elected to the Rajya Sabha from the State. The respondents have been directed to file their replies, after which the Court will consider the rival submissions on the validity of the nomination rejection and its impact on the election process.
The case assumes considerable legal and political significance as it tests the extent of disclosure obligations imposed on election candidates and the powers of Returning Officers while scrutinizing nomination papers. The High Court’s eventual decision is expected to clarify the standards governing rejection of nominations and the remedies available to candidates alleging wrongful exclusion from the electoral process under the Representation of the People Act.
