- BJP wins all three Rajya Sabha seats from Madhya Pradesh unopposed.
- Election Commission issues victory certificates to BJP nominees.
- Congress challenges rejection of Meenakshi Natarajan’s nomination.
- Supreme Court defers hearing, allowing election process to conclude.
GG News Bureau
Bhopal, 11th June: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Thursday secured all three Rajya Sabha seats from Madhya Pradesh unopposed after the Congress failed to prevent the election process despite mounting legal and political challenges over the rejection of its candidate’s nomination.
The Election Commission issued certificates of election to BJP candidates Rajnish Agrawal, Tarun Chugh and Mahesh Kevat, formally declaring them elected to the Upper House of Parliament.
The outcome came amid an ongoing dispute over the rejection of Congress leader Meenakshi Natarajan’s nomination, a move that the party has termed unlawful, arbitrary and biased.
The Congress had initially claimed it possessed sufficient numbers in the Madhya Pradesh Assembly to send Natarajan to the Rajya Sabha. However, her nomination was rejected on June 9, dramatically altering the contest and paving the way for an uncontested BJP victory.
In a last-minute effort to halt the process, the Congress approached the Supreme Court seeking urgent intervention. Senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi argued that the matter required immediate consideration as the deadline for withdrawal of nominations was set to expire the same day.
The Election Commission informed the court that it had not yet received a copy of the petition and required time to file its response.
Singhvi subsequently requested that the declaration of results be withheld pending judicial review. However, the court observed that legal principles governing such disputes had already been settled and deferred the hearing to Friday.
The delay effectively allowed the Election Commission to complete the election process and declare the BJP candidates elected unopposed.
Simultaneously, a 10-member Congress delegation met Election Commission officials in New Delhi on Wednesday, seeking intervention in the matter. However, no decision was issued before the completion of the electoral process.
Following the declaration of results, BJP leaders hailed the outcome as a reflection of the party’s strength in Madhya Pradesh.
Rajnish Agrawal thanked the party leadership for the opportunity and expressed gratitude after receiving his certificate of election.
The Congress, meanwhile, has maintained that it will continue its legal battle and is seeking to have the rejection of Meenakshi Natarajan’s nomination set aside through judicial intervention.
The matter is expected to come up before the Supreme Court on Friday, even as the Rajya Sabha election process in Madhya Pradesh stands completed.
