Follow TNM's WhatsApp channel for news updates and story links.
The rejection of Telangana Congress in-charge Meenakshi Natarajan’s Rajya Sabha nomination from Madhya Pradesh has triggered fresh speculation about internal divisions within the Telangana Congress. Allegations had emerged that information about the pending court case that led to her nomination being rejected may have been leaked from within the party itself. The political turmoil coincided with the Supreme Court dismissing Meenakshi’s plea challenging the rejection of her Rajya Sabha nomination papers on Friday, June 12.
Meenakshi’s nomination papers were rejected on June 9 after the Returning Officer ruled that she had failed to disclose details of a case pending against her in Telangana. The decision followed a complaint filed by senior BJP leader and Madhya Pradesh minister Kailash Vijayvargiya.
The case dates back to 2022, when a Congress worker approached the court alleging intimidation, harassment and inaction by several Congress leaders after she lodged complaints of sexual assault. Court records show that the primary allegations of sexual assault are against Congress leader Kumbham Shiva Kumar Reddy, while Meenakshi and other party leaders were named as respondents for allegedly failing to act despite being informed of the complainant’s grievances.
The controversy has acquired a new political dimension after the complainant suggested that the information leading to the rejection of Meenakshi’s nomination may have originated from within the Congress. Speaking to PTI on June 12, she alleged that shortly before the nomination process, individuals linked to senior Congress leaders sought access to her case file.
“On June 6, when I went to the court, a senior Congress leader’s personal assistant approached me asking for the case file. Later, another party member also called and asked me for the file,” she said, implying that the details may have been passed on by someone within the party. The complainant’s statement further solidified Minister Kailash's earlier claim that he knew of the case from a leader of the Telangana Congress.
The complainant further claimed that when she raised concerns with Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) president Mahesh Kumar Goud, he told her that Chief Minister Revanth Reddy had advised him not to get involved in the matter. She also alleged that she had been sidelined within the party and suggested that Revanth Reddy was supporting Shiva Kumar Reddy because they belonged to the same caste.
At the same time, the complainant struck a more sympathetic tone toward Meenakshi. “I am very sad for her. If she had mentioned the case in her Election Commission affidavit, she would have been in safe hands,” she said.
The episode has fuelled political accusations and counter-accusations. Leaders of the opposition Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) have alleged that Revanth Reddy’s camp was responsible for sharing information that ultimately led to Meenakshi’s nomination being rejected.
The Congress and the Telangana Chief Minister’s Office have rejected those claims, blaming the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Election Commission for the decision. “After vote chori and SIR, they are now resorting to seat chori”, CM Revanth said, implying that the BJP was behind botching Meenakshi’s nomination.
