‘Seat Theft’ and Smriti Irani Comparisons: BJP Faces Opposition Heat Over Congress RS Candidate’s Disqualification

Several Opposition leaders on Tuesday accused the BJP of orchestrating a political conspiracy after the Election Commission rejected Congress leader Meenakshi Natarajan’s Rajya Sabha nomination from Madhya Pradesh, triggering a fresh political storm ahead of the Upper House elections.

The Congress candidate’s nomination was cancelled over allegations that she failed to disclose a court summons issued in 2022. The party, however, dismissed the charge as baseless and alleged that the move was aimed at denying it a Rajya Sabha seat.

Opposition leaders rallied behind Natarajan, with Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra calling the rejection a decision based on a “flimsy joke of an excuse” and alleging that the BJP was desperate to tighten its grip over Parliament.

Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy termed the development a “seat chori” (seat theft) attempt and accused the ruling party of undermining democratic institutions. He described the move as an attack on democracy and urged citizens to speak out against it.

The controversy deepened after BJP leader Kailash Vijayvargiya suggested that documents highlighting alleged discrepancies in Natarajan’s nomination had originated from Telangana, hinting at possible divisions within the Congress itself.

Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi also joined the criticism, drawing comparisons with former BJP MP Smriti Irani’s election affidavits that had faced scrutiny in the past. She questioned why alleged discrepancies in earlier cases were overlooked while Natarajan’s nomination was rejected without, she claimed, an adequate opportunity to respond.

The Election Commission’s decision followed a complaint by BJP leader Rahul Kothari, who alleged that Natarajan had omitted details of a summons issued by a Hyderabad court. The complaint prompted a review of her nomination papers, eventually leading to their rejection.

Kerala Leader of Opposition VD Satheesan condemned the move as a “blatant assault on democratic principles,” arguing that such actions erode public trust in constitutional institutions.

Senior Congress leader Kamal Nath also alleged efforts to deprive the party of a legitimate seat, claiming that a flight carrying Congress MLAs was deliberately delayed as legislators headed to Bengaluru amid fears of cross-voting.

Congress general secretary KC Venugopal strongly rejected the allegations against Natarajan, calling them “complete humbug” and accusing the BJP of resorting to “dirty tricks” after failing to influence Congress legislators.

Venugopal, along with senior Congress leaders including Jairam Ramesh and Sachin Pilot, staged a protest outside the Election Commission’s office in New Delhi, demanding a review of the decision and alleging political interference in the electoral process.

The controversy has quickly escalated into a broader debate over the functioning of democratic institutions, with the Opposition framing the episode as a test of electoral fairness and the BJP insisting that the Election Commission acted on legal grounds.