Sangma’s team keeps option of moving apex court open
July 22nd, 2012 - 9:13 pm ICT by IANS
New Delhi, July 22 (IANS) After losing to Pranab Mukherjee by a huge margin, opposition candidate P.A. Sangma Sunday said his team had kept open the option to approach the Supreme Court against Mukherjee’s election as the president.
“We are meeting day after tomorrow (Wednesday), this matter will also come up for discussion,” Sangma said to queries about the petition to the apex court after the poll panel had rejected their plea against acceptance of Mukherjee’s nomination.
Sangma’s team had alleged that Mukherjee was holding an office of profit as chairman of Indian Statistical Institute when he filed his nomination as president.
Mukherjee, however, produced his resignation letter dated June 20 with acceptance from the ISI. Subsequently, Sangma’s request was rejected and Mukherjee’s nomination accepted by the returning officer.
Sangma’s team later alleged that the signature on his resignation was forged and had gone to election commission demanding rejection of his nomination. The election commission has rejected their demand, saying it did not have the power to take action.
The option with the team was to approach Supreme Court with an election petition, which can be filed only once results are declared.
Satpal Jain, chief of BJP’s legal cell and Sangma’s counting officer, said that their demand was “legal and constitutional”.
“All options are open, our demand is legal and constitutional. We will meet in a couple of days and decide,” Jain told IANS.
In case the election petition is filed and the court hears it, three situations may arise. The court may either dismiss the petition, which will victory for Mukherjee.
The other way would be if the court declares the election void, which will lead to another election, or it may declare the election void and announce Sangma as the winner.
Mukherjee, the ruling United Progressive Alliance (UPA) candidate, has won the president’s poll with a massive margin, bagging 713,763 votes, about 70 percent, leaving Sangma way behind with 315,887 votes.
- Poll panel rejects Sangma's plea against Pranab (Second Lead) - Jul 10, 2012
- Team Sangma gives poll panel proof against Mukherjee - Jul 09, 2012
- Sangma gives proof against Mukherjee, centre debunks it (Lead) - Jul 10, 2012
- BJP dissociates itself from Sangma's petition plan (Lead) - Jul 25, 2012
- Team will move SC if Sangma loses presidential poll - Jul 11, 2012
- Sangma congratulates Mukherjee, keeps election petition option open (Lead) - Jul 22, 2012
- Purno Sangma to file election petition Tuesday - Aug 18, 2012
- Team Sangma to approach poll panel against Pranab's nomination (Lead) - Jul 05, 2012
- Sangma to decide Thursday on petition against Mukherjee - Jul 05, 2012
- Sangma challenges Pranab's election in apex court (Lead) - Aug 21, 2012
- Sangma to file election petition Tuesday (Lead) - Aug 18, 2012
- 'Beyond my powers to probe Mukherjee's signature' - Jul 11, 2012
- Poll panel rejects Sangma's plea against Pranab (Lead) - Jul 10, 2012
- Can't forge signature, says Pranab; Team Sangma to move court (Lead) - Jul 05, 2012
- Pranab's letter quitting Kolkata institute fabricated: BJP (Lead) (With Images) - Jul 03, 2012
Tags: apex, apex court, bjp, couple of days, day after tomorrow, election commission, election petition, indian statistical institute, isi, letter dated june, New Delhi, nomination, opposition candidate, plea, pranab mukherjee, progressive alliance, rejection, resignation letter, returning officer, s poll