‘BJP creating artificial numbers in Parliament’: Siddaramaiah after Meenakshi Natarajan’s RS nomination rejected

BENGALURU: After the rejection of Congress Rajya Sabha candidate Meenakshi Natarajan’s nomination in Madhya Pradesh, former Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Wednesday accused the BJP of undermining democratic institutions, alleging that the party was engaged in “vote theft” and “seat theft” to secure “artificial numbers” in Parliament.

In a post on X, Siddaramaiah alleged that the BJP was resorting to “vote theft” and “seat theft” to secure numbers in Parliament. “What happened in Madhya Pradesh is not an isolated incident. It is part of the larger design of the BJP under PM Narendra Modi,” Siddaramaiah said.

“Through SIR and other methods, the BJP has been carrying out vote theft. Now, seat theft has been added to the same project. When the BJP cannot win through voters, it attacks the voter list. When it cannot win through numbers, it attacks the election process itself,” Siddaramaiah added.

What happened in Madhya Pradesh is not an isolated incident. It is part of the larger design of the BJP under PM Narendra Modi.

Through SIR and other methods, the BJP has been carrying out vote theft. Now, seat theft has been added to the same project. When the BJP cannot win… pic.twitter.com/U3yD5Uwpx6

— Siddaramaiah (@siddaramaiah) June 10, 2026

Siddaramaiah further alleged that the BJP was “breaking parties, buying loyalty, misusing institutions and stealing seats” in a bid to create “artificial numbers” in Parliament.

“The BJP is breaking parties, buying loyalty, misusing institutions and stealing seats because it wants artificial numbers in Parliament. These artificial numbers are needed to pass anti-democratic and anti-constitutional laws without resistance. The Congress will strongly oppose this assault on democracy and the Constitution,” he said.

The remarks came after the nomination of Congress Rajya Sabha candidate Meenakshi Natarajan from Madhya Pradesh was rejected over allegations of concealing information regarding a pending case in her affidavit. The cancellation, which has sparked significant political controversy, led Natarajan to condemn the decision as “seat chori” (theft of a seat) and a “muzzling of democracy.

Following the rejection, a delegation of senior Congress leaders, including KC Venugopal, Abhishek Manu Singhvi, Jairam Ramesh, Randeep Singh Surjewala, Vivek Tankha, Digvijaya Singh and Bhupesh Baghel, met Election Commission officials seeking intervention in the matter. (ANI)