Sangma camp may move election petition against Mukherjee

Opposition nominee PA Sangma's camp, which has sought re-scrutiny of Pranab Mukherjee's nomination papers by the Election Commission, today did not rule out moving an election petition in the Supreme Court if it failed to get a favourable order from the poll panel.

Opposition nominee PA Sangma's camp, which has sought re-scrutiny of Pranab Mukherjee's nomination papers by the Election Commission, on Monday did not rule out moving an election petition in the Supreme Court if it failed to get a favourable order from the poll panel.

Sangma's 'personal advisor' Subramanian Swamy and his authorised representative Satya Pal Jain said here that as soon as they receive the EC's directions on their petition, they would decide on the next course of action.

"Let the EC's order come. We will go step by step as per the settled procedure of law...all options are open. As soon as the EC decision comes, we will take a decision," Jain told a press conference after submitting a written petition to the
poll panel.

Members of Sangma's central election committee had on Saturday last made an oral submission before the EC seeking re-scrutiny of UPA nominee Mukherjee's nomination papers.

They said election petitions have been made against seven former Presidents, including Zail Singh and KR Narayanan.

Swamy said the Returning Officer (Rajya Sabha Secretary General VK Agnihotri) while accepting the papers of Mukherjee has neither dealt nor decided many of the objections raised by Jain.

"The RO did not decide the issue regarding the genuineness of the resignation letter, its validity and its acceptance.. MGK Menon (President, ISI) cannot accept the resignation. Mukherjee was elected by the governing council and it can only accept the resignation," he said.

He claimed that if Mukherjee has "some self respect", he should himself tell the EC that we was ready for a probe into his signatures. "It is my personal opinion, that otherwise he should withdraw from the race," Swamy said.