Congress workers intensified their protest on Wednesday against the rejection of the party's Rajya Sabha candidate Meenakshi Natarajan's nomination by hanging a Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) uniform on the locked gate of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) office in Bhopal. The action was accompanied by accusations that constitutional institutions are functioning under ideological influence.
Protest at CEO Office
The workers arrived at the CEO office in the morning, found the gate shut, staged a brief protest, and left after hanging the RSS dress outside the premises. This act was part of a broader political agitation that began late Tuesday night after the nomination was rejected during scrutiny proceedings.
Night-long Sit-in
Around 10:30 pm on Tuesday, senior Congress leaders, including Leader of Opposition Umang Singhar, along with MLAs and party workers, reached the CEO office and staged a sit-in outside the gate. Several leaders lay down on the road in front of the office and continued the protest through the night, alleging that democracy and constitutional norms were being undermined to help the BJP secure all three Rajya Sabha seats unopposed.
Collective Fast and Open Letter
Simultaneously, Congress leaders and workers also sat on a collective fast at Roshanpura Square in Bhopal on Wednesday. Prominent participants included former chief minister Digvijaya Singh, Rajya Sabha MP Ashok Singh, former Union minister Arun Yadav, state Congress chief Jitu Patwari, Umang Singhar, and several Congress MLAs. Patwari issued an open letter to the people of Madhya Pradesh, describing the rejection of Natarajan's nomination as "an attack on public faith in constitutional institutions."
In the letter, Patwari alleged that democratic institutions across the country are increasingly coming under pressure and appealed to citizens to remain vigilant to "protect the Constitution and democracy."
Political Reactions
Congress maintained that the nomination rejection was politically motivated, while the BJP defended the returning officer's decision as being strictly in accordance with election laws and Supreme Court guidelines. The protest highlights the deepening political divide in the state ahead of the Rajya Sabha elections.
