Thaindian News

New Delhi, July 3 (IANS) The nomination of United Progressive Alliance candidate Pranab Mukherjee for the presidential poll was accepted Tuesday and the plea by his opponent P.A Sangma to disqualify him on the ground of holding an office of profit rejected.

Mukherjee’s nomination was challenged by Sangma’s team, alleging that he was holding an office of profit as chairman of the Kolkata-based Indian Statistical Institute (ISI).

Rajya Sabha Secretary General V.K. Agnihotri, the returning officer for the presidential poll, announced here that the nominations of both Mukherjee and Sangma were accepted and all objections were dismissed.

“After making summary inquiries as required under the relevant provisions of the presidential and vice presidential election act, regarding conduct of scrutiny of nomination papers, and after hearing both the parties in both the cases today (Tuesday), I, in my capacity as returning officer, overruled the objections raised in both the cases as they were untenable and lacked merit,” Agnihotri told reporters.

Mukherjee’s election agent and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal said: “Pranab Mukherjee’s nomination has been accepted… resignation from Indian Statistical Institute was valid.”

“The objections raised by Sangma were taken up by the returning officer and we filed our reply attached with the resignation by Mukherjee and its acceptance by the ISI. These were considered and objections turned down,” he said.

The ISI had also issued a statement Monday that Mukherjee had resigned on June 20.

The controversy, however, resulted in the extension of last day of scrutiny by a day to Tuesday.

The nomination of Sangma, who is being backed by a host of opposition parties, was also was accepted Tuesday morning.