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Meenakshi Natarajan Challenges Rajya Sabha Nomination Rejection Amid Controversy
In a formal complaint obtained by ThePrint, Srilatha accused Congress leader Meenakshi Natarajan of shielding Kumbham Shivakumar Reddy, who faces serious allegations of sexual misconduct and threats against her. Srilatha contended that despite her repeated alerts, Natarajan and other Congress officials in Telangana failed to act against Reddy, allowing him to retain his party membership. She specifically named seven Congress figures in her complaint, including Pradesh Congress Chief Mahesh Kumar Goud and Minister Vakati Srihari.
The conflict traces back to 2020 when Reddy, then the District Congress Committee (DCC) president, was tasked with collaborating with Srilatha for the Narayanpet Municipality elections. Their partnership deteriorated, leading to a loss for Congress to the Bharata Rashtra Samithi. Following threats from Reddy after Srilatha hinted at revealing damaging information about him, Congress leaders removed him from his DCC position in mid-2021.
Srilatha filed two FIRs against Reddy in 2022 and 2023, which were ultimately dismissed due to insufficient evidence. Both she and Reddy sought Congress nominations for the Narayanpet assembly elections, but the party opted for Reddy's daughter-in-law, Chitten Parnika Reddy, instead. After Congress regained power in December 2023, Natarajan assumed leadership as the AICC in charge of Telangana in February 2025.
In September 2025, Srilatha again raised concerns about threats to her safety, prompting her to file a private complaint against Natarajan and several Congress leaders for their inaction regarding Reddy.
“Srilatha lodged a complaint for the third time as a victim. She wanted Reddy to be removed from the party and not just demoted,”shared an anonymous Congress MP. However, uncertainty lingers regarding Srilatha's current status within the party.
As this controversy emerged on June 9, Congress leaders scrambled to protect Natarajan's Rajya Sabha candidacy. While previous cases lacked substantiated claims, the ongoing complaint from September 2025 is under scrutiny by the Election Commission (EC). Although Natarajan's name was minimally mentioned in the complaint, she was still served a notice. A Congress ally noted that although she responded to court inquiries, they lost track of subsequent developments.
K. Karuna Sagar, a BJP lawyer, asserted that Natarajan was aware of the ongoing case and had legal representation. According to him, the Returning Officer rejected her nomination under Section 36(2)(b) of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, emphasizing the necessity of full disclosure in electoral processes. Natarajan, however, dismissed the accusations during a media appearance in Madhya Pradesh, labeling the rejection as a “BJP's attempt to manipulate the Rajya Sabha election.”
In her defense, Congress leaders rallied around Natarajan, claiming that the rejection stemmed from a misunderstanding, with no criminal case against her.
“A mere notice from a court is not liable to be disclosed,”stated Congress Rajya Sabha MP Abhishek Manu Singhvi in a video message. Several Telangana cabinet ministers have since voiced their dissatisfaction with the EC's decision, prompting calls for protests at the Ambedkar statue in Hyderabad.
The unfolding drama has also prompted a sharp critique from senior BJP leader BL Santosh, who questioned the Congress party's integrity in bringing the Telangana case to light:
“The whole INCIndia brigade...cannot answer one single question: who from its ranks brought the Telangana case to the public domain?”
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