Hyderabad: Congress leader Meenakshi Natarajan has approached the Supreme Court after her Rajya Sabha nomination from Madhya Pradesh was rejected by the Returning Officer. The Congress party challenged the decision, calling it legally untenable and contrary to the provisions of the Representation of the People Act.
The party has sought urgent intervention from the apex court. However, the Supreme Court registry has not yet announced a date for hearing the matter.
Congress Challenges Returning Officer’s Decision
Senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi is representing the Congress before the Supreme Court and the Election Commission. The party argued that the Returning Officer misinterpreted the law while rejecting Natarajan’s nomination papers.
According to the petition, no FIR has been registered against Meenakshi Natarajan. It also stated that no court has formally taken cognisance of any case against her.
The Congress clarified that Natarajan only received a preliminary court notice and not a criminal charge sheet or prosecution order.
Party Cites Representation of the People Act
The petition referred to Section 33A of the Representation of the People Act. Under the provision, candidates must disclose criminal cases in their election affidavit only when a court has taken cognisance of the matter and framed charges carrying a punishment of two years or more.
The Congress argued that neither of these conditions applies in Natarajan’s case. Therefore, it maintained that she was under no legal obligation to disclose the notice in her nomination affidavit.
The party contended that the Returning Officer wrongly interpreted the legal requirements and unjustly rejected her nomination.
Supreme Court Hearing Awaited
Congress leaders expressed confidence that the Supreme Court will provide relief after examining the legal provisions and facts surrounding the case.
The development has added a fresh legal dimension to the Rajya Sabha election process in Madhya Pradesh, with the final outcome now depending on the apex court’s decision.
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