The Election Commission of India rejected the Rajya Sabha nomination of Congress candidate Meenakshi Natarajan in Madhya Pradesh over an incomplete affidavit.
The decision threatens the Congress party's ability to secure a seat in the upper house from a key state. This occurs as 22 Rajya Sabha MPs are set to retire in June 2026 [1], making every single nomination critical for the party's overall tally.
According to reports, the nomination was deemed invalid because of a missing or incorrect affidavit [2]. This procedural failure has allowed the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to claim an unopposed victory in the state. A BJP spokesperson said, "Congress themselves gave us info" [3], suggesting the party was aware of the errors before the rejection.
Congress leaders have denied the claims of procedural negligence. A party delegation met with the Election Commission to contest the ruling, and said the move was politically motivated [2]. The party alleges that the decision is a partisan effort to weaken their representation in the upper house.
Protests broke out in Bhopal following the announcement [2]. The tension highlights the high stakes of the June 2026 polling, as both major parties seek to consolidate power in the Rajya Sabha.
While the BJP attributes the setback to the Congress party's own mistakes, the opposition said the commission is acting on behalf of the ruling party [2, 3]. The dispute now rests on whether the commission will reconsider the affidavit or maintain the rejection, effectively handing the seat to the BJP without a contest.
“The Election Commission rejected Meenakshi Natarajan’s Rajya Sabha nomination in Madhya Pradesh over an alleged incomplete affidavit”
This incident underscores the volatility of the 2026 Rajya Sabha elections, where technical errors in nomination papers can result in immediate shifts in legislative power. By potentially securing an unopposed win in Madhya Pradesh, the BJP strengthens its upper house dominance, while Congress faces a critical challenge in maintaining its influence across key states like Rajasthan and Karnataka.
