Hyderabad (Telangana) [India], June 9 : Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy on Tuesday slammed the BJP for the "conspiracy" which resulted in the rejection of Congress candidate Meenakshi Natarajan's Rajya Sabha nomination from Madhya Pradesh.
In a post on X, Revanth Reddy called it an "assault on democracy", accusing the BJP of "stifling the voices of people".
"I condemn the conspiracy by the BJP in Madhya Pradesh, which resulted in the rejection of Ms Meenakshi Natarajan Ji's Rajya Sabha nomination. After Vote Chori and SIR, they are now resorting to Seat Chori," Revanth Reddy said in a post on X.
"This is an assault on democracy. People's voices are being stifled. This is a dark day for Indian democracy and needs to be condemned by all citizens. We will all fight for justice," he added.
Meanwhile, Meenakshi Natarajan also lashed out at the BJP and accused it of "attempting to manipulate the Rajya Sabha election".
Addressing a press conference, she also accused the BJP of having "subverted elections in Madhya Pradesh" earlier.
"It all began when the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party fielded a third candidate despite lacking the requisite numerical strength. It became evident that they were engaging in politics designed to trample upon the Constitution and democracy...They are clearly attempting to manipulate the Rajya Sabha election just as they previously subverted elections in Madhya Pradesh," Natarajan said.
"This is not merely about a Rajya Sabha seat or a specific candidate; it is about the broader struggle for the 'Idea of India" and democracy that our leader, Rahul Gandhi, is waging a critical battle for our nation today. The question is whether democracy will prevail, whether India's federal structure will endure, and whether the attempt to impose a one-party system and dictatorship will be thwarted," she added.
Madhya Pradesh Congress President Jitu Patwari said that the party will fight against this decision with all its might.
"The Congress party will fight this with all its might...Regarding the legal and election-related allegations arising from these events and the way our legal experts approached the situation, the authorities could not, and cannot, simply dismiss the legal grounds; yet, what occurred was an act of sheer political malice. How an election officer, who also serves as the Legislative Assembly Secretary, gave a political shape to the BJP's agenda," he asked.
The polling for Rajya Sabha biennial elections is slated to take place on June 18.