P A Sangma to meet CEC on July 7 against Pranab Mukherjee's candidature

NEW DELHI: Opposition-backed Presidential candidate P A Sangma will meet the Chief Election Commissioner on July 7 to complain against the Returning Officer's order rejecting his demand for disqualifying Pranab Mukherjee's candidature on the ground that he held an Office of Profit.

BJP leader S S Ahluwalia, who is representing his party in Sangma's campaign committee, said the opposition is not satisfied with the verdict given by Returning Officer V K Agnihotri. After a meeting here today, Sangma's Election campaign committee has decided to take the matter to the CEC.

The RO had said he was convinced that Mukherjee had quit as Chairman of Indian Statistical Institute on June 20 as claimed by him. BJP maintains Mukherjee's resignation letter and his signature on it are fabricated.

"We are going to the CEC with the complaint as under Article 324 of the Constitution, the authority of superintendence of polls lies with the EC," Ahluwalia said.

"The order of the RO is not complete in itself. All disputes and issues which we had been raised should have been dealt with by the RO as per Rule 5(E). But the RO has gone by the advise of Mukherjee's representative (Pawan Bansal) that this should be dealt with under Part III of the Constitution on President and Vice-President," he told.

A delegation comprising of Sangma and some BJP leaders will meet CEC V S Sampath on Saturday to file a complaint with him against the RO and the order issued by him.