The rejection of senior Congress leader Meenakshi Natarajan’s Rajya Sabha nomination had created a nationwide sensation. The Congress high command expressed strong outrage, alleging that the Central government and the Election Commission conspired to reject her nomination. The party leadership took the injustice done to Meenakshi Natarajan — a Gandhian and one of Rahul Gandhi’s most trusted aides — very seriously. Against this backdrop, the AICC is now making strategic moves to send her to the Rajya Sabha from Telangana as a way of giving her the recognition she deserves.
The high command has firmly decided to get one of the four sitting Congress Rajya Sabha MPs from Telangana to resign. The state currently has Anil Kumar Yadav, Vem Narender Reddy, Abhishek Manu Singhvi, and Renuka Chowdhury as its Rajya Sabha members. Among them, Vem Narender Reddy — who shares a very close rapport with Chief Minister Revanth Reddy — is understood to be willing to sacrifice his seat.
Chief Minister Revanth Reddy held a special discussion with Rahul Gandhi, who was deeply unhappy over Meenakshi Natarajan’s nomination being cancelled, and proposed that Telangana was ready to offer a seat as a gesture of loyalty to the party and to Rahul’s trust. Following Revanth Reddy’s suggestion, Congress has drawn up a firm plan to have Vem Narender Reddy resign and send Meenakshi Natarajan to the Rajya Sabha unopposed in his place.
The process of sending Meenakshi Natarajan to the Upper House from Telangana is set to begin following Vem Narender Reddy’s resignation. Notably, Vem Narender Reddy was unanimously elected to the Rajya Sabha from Telangana in March 2026 and was sworn in as a member on April 16.