BJP Accused of Stealing Rajya Sabha Seat: Congress Chief Minister

HYDERABAD: Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy on Friday accused BJP national president Nitin Nabin and the Returning Officer (RO) in Madhya Pradesh of conspiring to prevent AICC general secretary Meenakshi Natarajan from entering the Rajya Sabha, alleging that they had “stolen a seat” through a politically motivated decision. Interacting with the media in New Delhi, Revanth alleged that the RO acted in a biased manner and rejected Meenakshi’s nomination despite there being no case against her. He also blamed BJP national president Nitin Nabin and party leaders for what he described as a larger conspiracy to ensure her defeat. “The BJP has been stealing votes for years. Now it has gone on to steal a Rajya Sabha seat,” the chief minister alleged. Claiming that the BJP’s decision to field three candidates for the RS seats from Madhya Pradesh was part of a pre-planned strategy, Revanth said the saffron party leaders and election officials had worked together to block the Congress nominee. He described Meenakshi as a Gandhian leader and alleged that the BJP had acted in an anti-democratic and anti-women manner.