MP High Court Issues Notice On Congress Leader's Plea Against Rejection Of Rajya Sabha Nomination, Election Of BJP MPs

The Madhya Pradesh High Court has issued notice on a petition challenging election of BJP MPs Tarun Chugh, Rajneesh Kumar Agarwal and Mahesh Kewat.The plea has been filed by former Congress MP Meenakshi Natarajan, also challenging the rejection of her Rajya Sabha nomination.The bench of Justice BP Sharma directed:"Heard on admission. Issue notice to respondents, on payment of requisite process fee within seven working days. List on 11.09.2026 along with service report". The petitioner challenged the rejection of her Rajya Sabha candidature from Madhya Pradesh before the Supreme Court, which rejected the petition and gave her liberty to raise the challenge in an election petition filed in terms of the Representation of the People Act.Thereafter, this petition was filed before the High Court claiming that the mentioned BJP members were elected only because her candidature was illegally rejected by the Chief Election Officer. Per her petition, she had filed and submitted her nomination on June 8, 2026, with all required documents as per the Representation of the People Act, 1951. She disclosed all information, including paragraphs 5 and 6 relating to pending criminal cases and convictions. However, BJP office bearer Rahul Kothari, claimed that the petitioner had failed to disclose a criminal case pending against her in Nampally, Hyderabad for defamation, criminal intimidation and outraging modesty of a woman. The petitioner claims that the disclosure is only warranted once a competent court has applied its mind to either frame charges or take cognisance, and since none of that had taken place, the disclosure was not needed. Thereafter, another objection was filed by Agarwal claiming defective attestation or notary seal, alteration in income tax detail form, and discrepancy in disclosure of assets. On the same day, the petitioner filed a detailed response to the objections, but her nomination was rejected on the grounds that she filed an incomplete affidavit by not disclosing details of the criminal case and that the ACJM in Hyderabad had taken cognisance of the case and therefore she ought to have disclosed the same. The petitioner clarified that the allegations against the petitioner were vague and confined to two paragraphs of the complaint and only related to her organising role in INC without attributing any criminal act to her personally. She claimed that only a pre-cognisance notice was issued to her, including other non-applicants as well, but the same does not amount to an order of cognisance. Thereafter, the General Secretary of the Congress party wrote to ECI seeking urgent hearing. The petitioner along with senior leaders appeared, but no order was passed by the ECI, it is claimed. Thereafter, she approached the Supreme Court, which dismissed the petition, noting that the proper remedy was to file an election petition. Thus, she has filed the present election petition before the High Court seeking to call for the entire record of nomination and directions to declare her rejection of nomination papers as improper. Case Title: Meenakshi Natarajan v Tarun Chugh, EP 4 of 2026For Petitioner: Senior Advocate Ajay Gupta with Advocate Rajeev Mishra Click here to read/download the Order

MP High Court Issues Notice On Congress Leader's Plea Against Rejection Of Rajya Sabha Nomination, Election Of BJP MPs

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MP High Court Issues Notice On Congress Leader's Plea Against Rejection Of Rajya Sabha Nomination, Election Of BJP MPs

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