New Delhi, June 11: The Congress party announced plans to launch a multi-month, nationwide agitation focusing on inflation, the NEET examination paper leak, and the CBSE On-Screen Marking controversy. Alongside these public demonstrations, the party confirmed it will mount a combined political and legal challenge against the recent rejection of its Rajya Sabha candidate Meenakshi Natarajan’s nomination papers.
The decision followed a three-hour strategy session at party headquarters, where Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge and senior leader Rahul Gandhi met with general secretaries, state unit chiefs, and state in-charges. Party officials noted that the structured street protests are scheduled to commence by the end of this month, with plans to sustain the campaign for two to three months.
A central point of discussion centered on recent election disputes in Madhya Pradesh and Jharkhand, which leadership categorized as highly concerning for electoral transparency. Congress General Secretary Organisation K C Venugopal described the disqualification of Natarajan in Madhya Pradesh as a “seat chori” (seat theft), asserting that the candidate faces no criminal cases.
“In Jharkhand, a BJP-backed person’s nomination was allowed despite him leaving two columns empty. It was wrong but it was accepted,” Venugopal stated during a joint press briefing, adding that these contrasting decisions reflect the “pathetic condition of Indian democracy.”
The party has already escalated the matter to the Election Commission, demanding an immediate reversal of the order. Following a meeting with election officials, Natarajan stated that the rejection represents a subversion of democracy, but affirmed that the party maintains full faith in constitutional institutions.
In a social media statement following the meeting, Kharge noted that institutional systems built over decades are being intentionally weakened, leaving the party to defend the Constitution alongside its political battles. He stated that the recent controversies surrounding recruitment exams and paper leaks have deeply shaken the trust of millions of youth and their families.
The strategy meeting also coincided with ongoing efforts to maintain coordination within the broader opposition alliance. This included a recent high-profile meeting between Rahul Gandhi and Trinamool Congress National General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee at 10 Janpath, aimed at strengthening the opposition INDIA bloc’s joint strategy.
