Congress Protests Nomination Rejection at Jantar Mantar

Under the banner of Satyagraha, Congress workers gathered at New Delhi’s Jantar Mantar on Friday to challenge the Election Commission of India. The demonstration follows the disqualification of Meenakshi Natarajan’s Rajya Sabha nomination, a decision the party maintains was driven by procedural bias rather than legitimate affidavit discrepancies.

Editorial·June 12, 2026·reads: 1,534

Congress Protests Nomination Rejection at Jantar Mantar

The disqualification triggered a swift escalation in political tensions earlier this week. A ten-member Congress delegation first sought a formal review from the Chief Election Commissioner, but the rejection of Natarajan’s candidacy remained unchanged, prompting the street-level protest.

Rahul Gandhi, Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, has framed the incident as part of a broader pattern of institutional alignment. He alleged a coordinated effort between the Election Commission and the ruling BJP, characterizing the Rajya Sabha selection process as a form of electoral theft. Gandhi’s critique highlighted what he views as a stark imbalance in how candidacy requirements are enforced against Congress members compared to their BJP counterparts.