Amid ongoing political churn in Punjab, Navneet Chaturvedi addressed a press conference at the Chandigarh Press Club on Monday, clarifying his position on the October 2025 Rajya Sabha election controversy, recent developments, and the allegations levelled against him.
Speaking to the media, Chaturvedi said that his name and identity are not unknown in Punjab. During the October 2025 Rajya Sabha elections, he was accused of irregularities in the nomination process. Complaints were filed alleging that he had forged signatures of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLAs. At the time, he was labelled the “mastermind of Operation Lotus,” called a BJP agent, and even described as a “fraud 420.”
He pointed out that the most striking aspect now is that those who made these allegations have themselves joined the BJP and are claiming the support of 63 AAP MLAs. He added that it would not be surprising if those who filed complaints or made statements against him also end up joining the BJP in the future.
Raising a direct question, Chaturvedi said that if joining the BJP was the eventual goal, then why was there so much “drama” in October. He alleged that false and fabricated accusations were made against him to benefit Rajinder Gupta, and that fake cases were registered, leading to his imprisonment. According to him, the current situation reflects “natural justice,” as the very individual for whom these actions were taken has now switched parties.
Chaturvedi informed that he has filed an election petition (EP-2/2025) in the Punjab and Haryana High Court, seeking the cancellation of Gupta’s election. Notice has already been issued to Gupta, but Chaturvedi claimed that Gupta has been avoiding filing a response on the last two hearing dates on one pretext or another. He alleged that by joining the BJP, Gupta is trying to signal that the law can no longer act against him.
He further claimed that a proposal was sent to him from Gupta’s side, asking him to withdraw his petition. In return, he was allegedly offered closure of cases against him and appropriate compensation. Chaturvedi said he rejected the offer outright.
He asserted that the current developments themselves indicate that the allegations against him were false. Questioning the claim of support from 63 MLAs, he said the reality is that the numbers are insufficient, and that efforts are being made to seek his assistance to complete the count. He also claimed that in recent days, individuals close to Raghav Chadha had approached him seeking help to “break” 63 MLAs, which he refused.
“When I was attempting this myself in October, I was stopped and deliberately sabotaged. Today, I am being asked for help for the same,” he said.
Chaturvedi made it clear that he is no longer interested in any form of political manoeuvring or backdoor tactics and is focused solely on pursuing his legal battle. He stated that although Gupta has joined the BJP, he will not be able to retain his Rajya Sabha seat.
He further claimed that he has the support of a legislator whose signature was part of the nomination filed on October 13. According to him, the MLA is willing to testify in the High Court, if required, that the signature was genuine. He added that at that time, Gupta himself had allegedly requested that MLAs should not support Chaturvedi, but the situation has now changed.
Chaturvedi expressed confidence that Gupta’s election will eventually be set aside by the High Court, although he acknowledged that the judicial process may take time. He reiterated that he will continue his legal fight with full determination.
He also said that his focus has now shifted to grassroots politics. He announced his intention to contest the upcoming Punjab Assembly elections. Acknowledging that he is not a native of Punjab and is not fluent in Punjabi, he maintained that he has consistently fought for the rights of the people in the state. He said his objective during the Rajya Sabha elections was to ensure that MLAs could vote freely without any candidate being imposed on them.
Targeting the AAP leadership, he said that the current situation could have been avoided if MLAs had been allowed to choose their Rajya Sabha representative independently.
In conclusion, Chaturvedi dismissed claims of a two-thirds majority, stating that the concerned Rajya Sabha seat is under judicial scrutiny. He said that even a single विधायक’s affidavit in his favour would be sufficient to prove that his nomination was wrongly rejected, which could lead to the cancellation of the election and the need for a fresh poll.
He also remarked that Gupta had maintained a clean public image so far and had not faced action from any agency, but alleged that his decision to join the BJP was an attempt to safeguard his Rajya Sabha position.
Chaturvedi further noted that when senior advocate Satyapal Jain appeared on Gupta’s behalf in the High Court, it had already signalled to him that Gupta was preparing to join the BJP. He added that the developments could also impact Gupta’s business interests, particularly his association with the Trident Group.