BJP, Congress clash over RS nominations
The ruling BJP and the Congress on Tuesday traded charges for preventing their respective candidates contesting for the Rajya Sabha elections due on June 18.
The Congress missed nominating Meenakshi Natarajan from the MP after her nomination was rejected on Monday when election authorities found that information related to a case had allegedly not been disclosed by her.
On the other hand, in Jharkhand, the Congress alleged discrepancies in the nomination papers of Parimal Nathwani, the BJP-backed independent nominee for the RS polls in Jharkhand, and lodged a complaint with the returning officer. The poll officer has given Nathwani time till Wednesday to resolve the objections.
Congress questioned the role of the Election Commission, which gave an audience to the BJP-backed candidate Nathwani while immediately rejecting Natarajan’s candidature. Congress has sought time from the poll watchdog to protest on Wednesday.
The Congress MLAs of Madhya Pradesh, who had been waiting to take a flight to Bengaluru, meanwhile, were called back when Natarajan’s nomination was rejected. Sources said the flight was recalled from the runway.
The development came after BJP leaders lodged a formal objection before the Returning Officer, seeking cancellation of Natarajan’s candidature. The BJP alleged that the Congress leader had failed to disclose details of a pending court case in Telangana in her election affidavit, a mandatory document that candidates are required to submit while filing nominations. The objection was raised by BJP candidate Mahesh Kewat, who is contesting the third Rajya Sabha seat.
Congress’s attempts to protest against the Returning officer’s move on late Monday evening fell flat when a delegation led by senior party leader KC Venugopal reached the poll office. Sources said that most officials at Commission had left after 6 pm. Though Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar was in the office, the Congress had not sought an appointment, sources said.
Natarajan alleged that the BJP is “muzzling democracy and the Constitution,” saying that what was earlier limited to “vote theft” has now become “seat theft.” She said, “When the number of members was not adequate, and the BJP fielded third candidate, it all started from there, and we started to understand that they are doing the politics of muzzling the democracy, constitution.”
A high drama ensued at the Election Commission office late in the night, when top Congress leaders rushed there to hand over a petition against the rejection, but were denied entry. The security refused the Congress leaders, including Jairam Ramesh, to enter the EC office, saying they had not taken permission from the poll body. Congress leaders K C Venugopal, Sachin Pilot, Bhupesh Baghel and Ramesh staged a dharna outside the EC office.
Meanwhile, Madhya Pradesh chief minister Mohan Yadav hailed the decision and called on the Congress party to ‘introspect’.”
