The defeated NDA candidate, P.A. Sangma, on Tuesday moved the Supreme Court challenging the election of Pranab Mukherjee as President, contending that he was holding offices of profit and hence not eligible to contest for the post.
The petition, filed through counsel P.V. Yogeswaran, said Mr. Mukherjee was holding an office of profit, as Chairman of the Indian Statistical Institute, Kolkata, “on the date of filing his nomination; date of scrutiny as well as the date of declaration of his election as President and he continues to hold the post.”
Mr. Sangma alleged that the letter of resignation of Mr. Mukherjee from the post had been fabricated and the signatures affixed by someone else. Mr. Mukherjee was also holding another office of profit, as leader of the Congress in the Lok Sabha, For, the person holding this office was entitled to various facilities, in addition to what was available to him as MP.
“That the very act of bringing the said two offices…within the purview of the Parliament (Prevention of Disqualification) Act, 1959 is in itself sufficient declaration that both are offices of profit,” the petition said.
“Even otherwise, the facilities to which the holder of these two offices is entitled, the nature of functions as well as the incompatibility and conflict of interest of these two offices with the office of President of India make it absolutely clear that they are, in fact, offices of profit.”
The objections against Mr. Mukherjee’s nomination were rejected by the Returning Officer, who did not decide the issue of genuineness of the signatures on his purported resignation from the post of ISI Chairman, Mr. Sangma said. He sought a declaration that the election of Mr. Mukherjee should be set aside and that he should be duly declared President.
Keywords: Presidential election, Sangma, Pranab Mukherjee
Whatever Sangma says is true and hence need to be dealt with by the courts
Political games of coalition partnership are used to ‘flush out’ all the past cases of disproportionate cases, and other corruption charges; one witnessed, in the last presidential election, dramas of states being offered huge fund and political leaders with charges of disproportionate asset cases, emerging as ‘paupers’ with clean chit from the Indian Judiciary. If the defeated NDA candidate, P.A. Sangma, has any strong evidence in his case challenging the election of Pranab Mukherjee as President, the Supreme Court should take up his case and speed up the trial process before the incumbent-president finishes his five year term.
The office of the President in a Republic-representative democracy is not something that is beyond questionable or something that cannot be brought under the evaluation by the common citizens. A true citizen of this country expects his/her President (and all elected- rulers too) to be a selfless and spotless leader with committed and dedicated services to the nation as an unwavering upholder of the constitutional norms. But unfortunately in our country, the Presidentship has become a mere post into which candidates from the dynastic and corrupted political parties are ‘fixed’ with a predetermined electoral victory for his/her candidature.
Ultimately Sangma may or may not win but we can expect the truth to emerge out of Honble Apex courts scrutiny of the issues placed before it so that the world at large should know the fabric and value of Indian democracy and perfect and unbiased judicial system
The office of President is one the occupant of which should have an impeccably clean record of honesty and integrity setting an example for the entire nation to follow. The charges made against Mr Pranab Mukherji the President by his opponent Mr Sangma for violation of the Election Code of Conduct on various counts are not to be taken lightly and we are confident that the Supreme Court will, after taking all facts into consideration, will arrive at a wise judgment in the interests of the nation.
Mr. Sangma, please show some grace and accept that you lost the
election. Being a politician is not a license to be a thorn in the side
for others.
At the outset, I would like to make it clear that I am not Pro Pranab or anti Sangma. After things have reached the level they have at the moment - Pranab Mukherjee becoming the Indian President, successfully facing many obstacles placed enroute and securing the support of a sizeable majority in the Presidential election- it looks odd that Mr. Sangma has opted to approach the apex court with the fond hope of getting a verdict in his favour after getting Pranab disqualified on technical grounds. Adverse public opinion and lack of majority support in the electoral college notwithstanding, Sangma seems to be stubborn in his stand that he alone deserves to be the President in the prevailing situation. Now that the case has gone to the highest court of the land, there is no other option but to wait for its verdict.
Mr.Sangma has fought the election and has lost. In democracy electoral loss is not humiliation. There is one thing called magnanimity. This is the time to show that leadership quality especially when the nation is boiling with intolerance and hatred.
Well, this is a serious issue all right ! Mr.Sangma certainly has a
point there. But I wonder what stance the hnrble Supreme Court will take
on this issue. If it rules in favor of Mr.Sangma, we are in for a drama
like never before !
It is very clear that Honorable Pranab Mukharjee was Chairman of Indian Statistical Institute. No one cares the procedures before filing the nomination. When such issues are raised, panel of constitutional experts and lawyers will handle the case in favor of the defaulter.
Else case will be adjourned till the end of the tenure.
If Mr.Sangma wins the case, it will be history!!
Whatever Sangma says is true and hence need to be dealt with by the courts. If people see Sangma power-hungry will the same logic not apply to Pranab who should have been out tehnically, employed bogus methods to keep his candidature afloat.
Are we saying that we are to forget all forms of cheating in the name of national honour. Will we say the same to the case against Chidambaram as well. Are you guys proud to say that your president cheated to come to that post.
The same congress party used this tactic to arm twist Jaya bachchan which has come back to haunt them now.
Even after facing a humiliating defeat i dont understand what Mr.Sangma wants to prove?
1st thing is he is no more an NCP leader, he has been sacked from the party, second is he has the right to file objections & seek to redress grievances, but is it the dignified way,he made the contest so cheap & brought the spirit of contest to its lowest level during the election.I wonder how this man had been elected a number of times as MP
Don't be surprised the North Easterners are returning to their homeland. Not only
was Sangma ridiculed by Karan Thapar...oh he was the last resort of ht BJP and actually
any one loitering in the corridor would have been selected, and he was a definite loser
so why even try. To direct these insults face to face should make one liable for a court
case. Sangma is the only North Easterner who made it with sheer guts and gumption.
Instead he was pushed aside for a sycophant of the Gandhi family, who is found like
the Prime Minister taking frequent naps with dreams of wishing they were in a rocking
chair and relaxed with their earned retirements. Sangma had dynamism and energy in
his speeches and choosing him would have given north easterners a feeling they too
could come up instead of spending their time as security guards, restaurant personnel,
beauty parlor assistants and trinket traders. These are troubled times and we cannnot
have half asleep people.
No doubt, the position of the President of India is unique and therefore should ideally be free of controversies, right from the filing of nominations. Unfortunately, civil society in this country had raised specific allegations of corruption against Pranab Mukherjee even before his candidature was declared. There were allegations against a number of Ministers in the UPA cabinet who sponsored Pranab. It was reported that Pranab himself as Finance Minister made undue offers to certain States with the election in view. There were also reports of UPA entering into hidden memoranda of understanding with certain political leaders and parties to access their favours. Last, but not the least important, there was the allegation of forgery of Pranab’s signature in connection with his resignation from certain office of profit. Reports also said that he did not relinquish all the offices of profit he was holding before filing his nomination. The candidate and his sponsors did not make efforts to disprove the allegations. Mr.Sangma moving the Supreme Court against the election of Pranab Mukherjee as President of India would in a way clear the clouds around the newly elected President, at least to the extent in matters brought to the scrutiny of the Court.
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