The Congress on Thursday (June 11, 2026) said it would challenge the rejection of its Madhya Pradesh candidate Meenakshi Natarajan’s nomination for the Rajya Sabha election legally and politically. It also announced a nation-wide campaign on issues such as inflation, unemployment, the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (Undergraduate) (NEET-UG) and other paper leaks and the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) On-Screen Marking (OSM) controversy.
The decision was taken at a meeting of the party’s top leadership, presided by Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge and attended by the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, general secretaries K. C. Venugopal, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Jairam Ramesh, Bhupesh Baghel, Randeep Surjewala and party in-charges and Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) chiefs.
In a post on social media platform X, Mr. Gandhi called Madhya Pradesh issue a case of seat chori (theft) and said that it is easier to fix elections with the help of Election Commission rather than win them. “After vote Chori and Sarkar Chori — the BJP-EC jugalbandi has finished the contest before it has even begun with Seat Chori,” he said.
“Congress candidate Meenakshi Natarajanji submitted every document. No pending cases. The EC cancelled her nomination on a frivolous BJP objection. Parimal Nathwaniji, the BJP-backed Independent, got his own name wrong on the form and skipped multiple mandatory disclosures. The EC gave him an extension to fix everything,” the Opposition leader added.
He said the same EC treated two candidates very differently. “One was disqualified without even a hearing. The other was rewarded despite not following the rules,” Mr. Gandhi said.
The 60-odd Congress MLAs from Madhya Pradesh are likely to launch a protest against the decision of the Returning Officer in New Delhi soon.
‘Country is facing serious challanges’
In a post on X, Mr. Kharge said the country was facing serious challenges, including inflation, unemployment, examination scandals and social inequality. “Paper leaks in NEET and various recruitment exams, along with controversies related to the education system, have shaken the trust of millions of youth and their families. Shri Rahul Gandhi has personally met with affected students and youth and has firmly presented their voice before the nation,” he said.
“Today, unfortunately, we see that those institutions and systems which took decades to build are being deliberately weakened. Therefore, our responsibility is not only toward political struggle, but also toward safeguarding India’s Constitution, democracy, and social justice,” Mr. Kharge asserted.
The party has drawn up a list of issues which would be highlighted in the three-four month long campaign. Though the exact modalities are being worked out, the campaign is expected start by end of June.
Mr. Gandhi is said to have warned his colleagues of an economic downturn and urged them to stand with the people, telling them that price rise, fuel shortage, paper leaks are because of “wrong policies” of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Ms. Vadra reportedly said the party should focus on a targeted campaign.
Matter of great worry: Venugopal
Addressing a press conference with Mr. Ramesh after the nearly three-hour meeting, Mr. Venugopal described recent developments in Madhya Pradesh and Jharkhand as a matter of “great worry”.
Calling the Madhya Pradesh episode “seat chori”, Mr. Venugopal said the developments reflected the “pathetic condition of Indian democracy”. “Today’s meeting discussed the matter in detail. We will fight this issue politically and legally,” he said.
Mr. Venugopal said recurring paper leaks, unemployment and job insecurities are destroying the hopes of our Gen Z and youth and families are facing severe strain as the economy goes into a tailspin destroying household budgets. “From the Block level to Parliament, we will mobilise all affected sections and send a strong message that we are with the ordinary people, while the Modi-led BJP is with the rich and powerful,” he said.