A 2022 complaint by a woman against a Telangana Congress leader has affected the Madhya Pradesh Rajya Sabha election, leading to the rejection of Congress nominee Meenakshi Natarajan’s candidature. BJP leaders inside the Madhya Pradesh Assembly on Tuesday evening celebrated as Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kailash Vijayvargiya suggested the party had discovered the case, crediting assistance from Congress contacts in Telangana. The proceedings central to the challenge originated from a criminal case registered in Telangana in 2022. It stemmed from a complaint by a former associate of a senior Congress politician, who alleged abuse, coercion, intimidation and exploitation during a personal relationship over several months. The case remains at the stage of charge consideration. BJP state general secretary Rahul Kothari objected to Natarajan’s nomination, claiming she had not fully disclosed the case in her affidavit. Natarajan is not named in the original case, but her name appears in a later private complaint filed by the woman before the Hyderabad court in August 2025. The private complaint targets not only the main accused but also various Congress office-bearers, legislators and functionaries accused of shielding influential figures despite prior complaints and ongoing proceedings. The complainant describes years of efforts to secure action against a senior Congress politician already facing criminal proceedings. She alleges that despite repeated representations to party leaders, no disciplinary action followed and influential figures retained organisational support. The complainant states she raised the matter directly with Natarajan, who reportedly said the accused had been suspended, yet provided no letter when asked. The petition does not accuse Natarajan of involvement in the underlying criminal acts but holds her responsible for organisational inaction and continued support for those facing allegations. In response filed on October 24, 2025, Natarajan denied wrongdoing and argued she had been improperly included in a dispute where she had no direct role. She described the allegations as vague and lacking any cognisable offence, stating that party appointments followed consultation with leadership and organisational needs. Natarajan maintained the complaint sought to convert a personal dispute into a criminal matter against party functionaries and objected to any vicarious liability based solely on her position.
