"No Setback": Congress' Meenakshi Natarajan After Top Court Rejects Plea

Meenakshi Natarajan, Congress' Rajya Sabha candidate from Madhya Pradesh, put up a brave face.

The Supreme Court on Friday rejected Meenakshi Natarajan's plea, challenging the rejection of her Rajya Sabha nomination papers.

Once nomination of a candidate is rejected by the returning officer, the top court said, the only remedy is to approach the Election Commission.

"However erroneous the decision may be, once a nomination is rejected, the remedy ordinarily lies elsewhere. Is there any judgment of this Court where we have interfered at that stage?" the top court said.

The Congress leader was undaunted.

"There is no disappointment or shock. What is happening to democracy has come out in the open for all to see. I will not comment on the honourable Supreme Court's decision today, as it would not be appropriate given the dignity of the Constitution, but we all know that the Election Commission is compromised," she told NDTV.

#NDTVExclusive | No Court Relief For Congress' Meenakshi Natarajan Over Nomination Rejection

"What's happening now with democracy is there for all to see" : Senior Congress leader Meenakshi Natarajan (@MNatarajanINC)'s first reaction @JainendraKumar pic.twitter.com/3zKKlZghie

— NDTV (@ndtv) June 12, 2026

The nomination papers of Natarajan was rejected by the Returning Officer on the ground that she allegedly failed to disclose a pending criminal case against her.

The Congress leader's lawyer, Abhishek Manu Singhvi, argued that a candidate is supposed to disclose a criminal case which provides for a minimum sentence of two years and, in the present matter, only summons were issued.

"There was no weakness. Their (Supreme Court) view was that this should be a matter for an election petition," she said.