Rajya Sabha elections: BJP’s third candidate increases Congress’ lead in Madhya Pradesh. india news

Last updated:June 09, 2026, 13:10 IST

The BJP has fielded Mahesh Kewat as its third Rajya Sabha candidate in Madhya Pradesh, making it a test of Congress unity on Meenakshi Natarajan, a numerically pro-Congress seat.

The Rajya Sabha elections in Madhya Pradesh have taken an interesting turn, with the BJP’s decision to field a third candidate turning a routine election into a test of Congress unity.

This move of BJP has also brought to the fore the simmering discontent within the opposition over the nomination of Congress leader Meenakshi Natarajan.

According to arithmetic, the third seat is believed to be in favor of Congress. However, politically, the BJP’s strategy appears to be less about winning seats and more about forcing the Congress to publicly demonstrate its unity at a time when a section of its state leadership is unhappy with the high command’s choice, officials from both parties told The Indian Express.

By nominating Mahesh Kewat for the third seat, the BJP has shifted the fight beyond mere numbers, turning it into a test of loyalty within the Congress.

Also read: Rajya Sabha elections: How Parimal Nathwani’s entry has complicated UPA’s Jharkhand arithmetic

A senior BJP leader said, “The BJP knows the arithmetic is difficult. But such elections are often about highlighting contradictions within rival parties. Even if the Congress wins, the BJP will consider it a success if it can articulate internal dissent.”

Kevat vs Natarajan: Parties ready for election battle

BJP and Congress have now come into election management mode. Chief Minister Mohan Yadav held discussions with senior BJP leaders, after which the party decided to field Mahesh Kewat. Party leaders have been asked to stay in Bhopal till the elections.

Meanwhile, the Congress is publicly rallying behind Meenakshi Natarajan by calling legislature party meetings, bringing MLAs to Bhopal and mobilizing leaders from rival factions, including former chief ministers Kamal Nath and Digvijay Singh, state Congress chief Jitu Patwari and opposition leader Umang Singhar.

Rajya Sabha elections are being held for three seats in Madhya Pradesh. For the other two seats, BJP has fielded Tarun Chugh and Rajneesh Aggarwal.

Also read: Rajya Sabha elections: Congress eyes transfer of MLAs from MP, Jharkhand amid fears of cross voting

Days before the formal announcement of Kevat’s candidature, senior BJP leaders, including state Urban Development Minister Kailash Vijayvargiya, had hinted at the possibility of the party fielding a third candidate.

Those comments quickly fueled speculation as they came amid discussions over Natarajan’s selection as the Congress candidate. According to The Indian Express, many senior Congress leaders were hopeful that the party high command would choose a candidate with a strong organizational base in Madhya Pradesh.

Congress leaders angry with Natarajan’s nomination, demand resignation

As soon as Natarajan’s candidature was announced, signs of uneasiness started emerging from within the Congress.

Senior party leader Naresh Gyanchandani publicly questioned the decision and warned that the move could lead to cross-voting in the Rajya Sabha elections.

Gyanchandani said, “There has been a big mistake regarding the candidate for Rajya Sabha… There is a danger of cross voting here, if Singh had been nominated again, the seat would have been safe.”

As soon as Natarajan filed his nomination papers, Gyanchandani submitted his resignation.

He said he decided to step down after the state leadership took exception to a tweet in which he had sought to draw Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s attention to concerns over Natarajan’s selection.

Also read: Who is Parimal Nathwani? BJP supported independent candidate in Rajya Sabha race from Jharkhand

Gyanchandani said, “I have regularly tweeted Rahul Gandhi from time to time in the interest of the party. Yet, after serving the Congress faithfully for 37 years, it is sad that even a single tweet by Rahul Gandhi was not acceptable to the Madhya Pradesh leadership.”

The Congress leadership immediately stood by its official candidate, but the controversy over the selection gave the BJP an opportunity to argue that there was a lack of consensus within the state unit for the choice.

At the same time, party leaders privately acknowledged that the election data may not be as straightforward as it appears. The uncertainty over the pending disqualification proceedings against Bina MLA Nirmala Sapre, who is aligned with the BJP, has raised doubts over the effective strength of the Congress in the Assembly.

Although no senior leader publicly challenged the party’s decision, several Congress functionaries privately admitted that the nomination had disappointed many candidates and their supporters.

“This issue is not about Meenakshiji personally. Most leaders respect her integrity. What was worrying was that the state unit was not adequately consulted and local political views were ignored,” The Indian Express reported.

Meanwhile, a senior Congress leader said some party members saw the nomination as a sign that the central leadership has prioritized organizational loyalty over state-level political considerations.

What was Congress’ reaction to the protests over Natarajan’s nomination?

The Congress leadership has made a concerted effort last week to show solidarity behind its Rajya Sabha candidate Meenakshi Natarajan.

State Congress President Jitu Patwari has repeatedly said that all the party MLAs are standing strongly behind his candidature, while Leader of Opposition Umang Singhar has also expressed confidence that the Congress MLAs will vote unitedly.

The party has called meetings of MLAs and senior leaders to strengthen the message of unity and organizational discipline.

Who is Meenakshi Natarajan?

Meenakshi Natarajan’s political journey has been largely influenced by her organizational roles within the Congress.

A former Youth Congress president and later Congress General Secretary, she is considered close to Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi and is known for her organizational experience and disciplined image within the party.

However, his standing with the central leadership will not necessarily impact the current crop of Congress MLAs in Madhya Pradesh. Unlike veterans like Kamal Nath and Digvijay Singh, who have separate support bases within the state unit, Natarajan is not seen as a major faction among the sitting MLAs.

This dynamic is at the heart of BJP’s strategy. Party strategists believe the Rajya Sabha elections provide an opportunity to assess whether Congress MLAs will remain united behind the official candidate despite internal preferences and factional loyalties.

The selection of Mahesh Kevat as the third candidate of BJP also gives a political message. Instead of fielding a heavyweight leader, the party has chosen a candidate whose nomination focuses beyond a direct contest for a seat.

Will BJP have a massive victory in Madhya Pradesh?

Under the proportional representation system used for Rajya Sabha elections, candidates must secure a certain quota of votes determined by the effective strength of the assembly.

The BJP currently has an overwhelming majority in the 230-member Madhya Pradesh Assembly with 163 members, while the Congress is the principal opposition with 66 MLAs.

Each candidate needs 58 first-preference votes to win, with the BJP having enough numbers to comfortably win two seats. However, the contest for the third seat has emerged as the main battlefield as the Congress has enough strength to stay in the race but very little margin for error.

It appears that this difficult arithmetic has shaped the BJP’s decision to field a third candidate.

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