Meenakshi Natarajan, who was born on July 23, 1973, in Nagda, Madhya Pradesh, is a politician from India and a former Member of Parliament (MP) for Mandsaur between 2009 and 2014. She was appointed as the All India Congress Committee (AICC) in charge of Telangana on February 14, 2025.
Educational Background and Early Life
Natarajan did her Bachelor of Science in Biology and Master of Science in Biochemistry from Devi Ahilya University, Indore, Madhya Pradesh. She then went on to do a Bachelor of Laws (LLB) from the Government Arts and Commerce College, Indore.
Political Career
Natarajan started her political career with the National Students’ Union of India (NSUI) and was its President between 1999 and 2002. She was then the President of the Madhya Pradesh Youth Congress between 2002 and 2005. In 2008, she was made an AICC Secretary, a role that brought her closer to the party leadership.
Natarajan stood from the Mandsaur constituency of Madhya Pradesh in the 2009 general elections and secured victory by a margin of more than 30,000 votes against the sitting BJP candidate Laxminarayan Pandey. She was a member of the Committee on Personnel, Public Grievances, Law and Justice, and the Committee on Empowerment of Women in the 15th Lok Sabha.
She ran from the Mandsaur seat for the second time in the 2014 and 2019 general elections but lost to BJP’s Sudhir Gupta both times.
Recent Appointment
On 14 February 2025, Natarajan was made AICC in-charge of Telangana replacing Deepa Das Munshi. The appointment has been viewed as a tactical exercise by the party leadership to ramp up its visibility in Telangana in advance of the approaching local elections.
Publications and Contributions
Natarajan is also a writer, having authored books like “1857 Bhartiya Paripekshay” and “Apne Apne Kurukshetra.” She writes regularly for magazines like Sunday Navjeevan, giving her views on political and social issues.
Personal Life
Born to A. R. Natarajan and Uma Natarajan, Meenakshi Natarajan has been a leading personality in Indian politics, famous for her commitment and strategic mind towards party matters.
