UPA flays NDA plans to seek conscience vote for Shekhawat

The UPA-Left dismisses NDA's plans to seek a conscience vote in favour of Vice President Bhairon Singh Shekhawat as 'inappropriate'.

The UPA-Left on Sunday dismissed as "misapplied and inapposite" NDA's plans to seek a conscience vote in favour of Vice President Bhairon Singh Shekhawat in the presidential election as had happened in 1969.

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"The phrase conscience vote is misapplied and inapposite. 1969 was a case when the ruling party was itself divided and conscience vote was sought because of the division," Congress spokesman Abhishek Singhvi told PTI.

He said UPA is completely united and all constituents have signed the nomination papers for Pratibha Patil.

Asked about NDA's claims that cross-voting would ensure victory of Shekhawat, who would be filing his nomination tomorrow on the 32nd anniversary of the imposition of emergency, he said the arithmetic will not change because of vague symbolism or rhetoric.

On the allegation that Patil was shielding a murder accused, he said the NDA and the Third Front were fishing in troubled waters and trying to create confusion.

He alleged that this was being done by organising a press conference at a former NDA Cabinet Minister's residence by Sudheendra Kulkarni, who was in the then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee's kitchen cabinet.

CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechury also hit out at the RSS-BJP for making "unfounded allegations" against Patil saying it reflected their desperation as they were set to lose.