Meenakshi Natarajan emerges as a frontrunner for Congress Rajya Sabha seat from MP

Bhopal: With three Rajya Sabha (RS) seats from Madhya Pradesh falling vacant in April- June this year, speculations are doing rounds in the political circles here that former MP and AICC in-charge of Telangana unit of the Congress, Meenakshi Natarajan, may emerge as the dark horse to secure the RS ticket from the party in the ensuing biennial elections to the Upper House in the state.

Ms. Natarajan has a clear edge over other aspirants in the party for the RS ticket in upcoming biennial polls in Madhya Pradesh, which are expected to be announced next month, due to her proximity to Leader of Opposition (LoP) Rahul Gandhi, a senior Congress functionary told this newspaper on Sunday.

Her ‘good rapport’ with Telangana chief minister A Revanth Reddy is likely to boost her prospect of getting a party ticket for the RS from Madhya Pradesh, the Congress leader added.

Tenures of three RS members from Madhya Pradesh are expiring in April-June this year, necessitating biennial polls to these seats probably in April this year.

Of them, two are from BJP, and one is from Congress.

While tenure of Congress veteran Digvijay Singh in the RS is expiring on April nine, terms of two BJP MPs, Sumer Singh Solanki and George Kurien (both from BJP), are ending on June 21.

The BJP is in a position to send two members to the Upper House, while Congress has enough strength in the state Assembly to retain its seat in RS.

While lobbying for the RS tickets in BJP is yet to begin, Mr. Singh’s recent announcement that he will not seek a third term in the Upper House this time has triggered a race for RS ticket in the Congress in Madhya Pradesh.

President of the scheduled caste wing of Madhya Pradesh unit of Congress Pradeep Ahirwar has written a letter to the party high command to consider sending a Dalit candidate of the party to the RS from MP, a senior Congress leader said.

Sources said that state Congress president and former minister Jitu Patwari, known for his proximity to Mr. Gandhi, is said to be lobbying hard to secure the RS ticket from the party.

He had lost the last Assembly elections.

Mr. Patwari belongs to the Other Backward Class (OBC).

Sources however, said that Ms. Natarajan is clearly ahead of other aspirants in the race for the RS ticket, despite being a Brahmin, due to her proximity to 10, Janpath, particularly Mr. Gandhi.