Sangma to file election petition against Pranab

New Delhi: Former Lok Sabha Speaker PA Sangma will file an election petition in the Supreme Court on Tuesday challenging the election of Pranab Mukherjee as President.

"Sangma will be filing the election petition before the Supreme Court on Tuesday against Pranab Mukherjee challenging his election as President of India," Satya Pal Jain, who is Sangma's lawyer, said in New Delhi on Saturday.

Jain said preparations for filing the election petition have been made and besides him, senior lawyer Ram Jethmalani, will also be assisting Sangma in filing it before the Supreme Court.

Sources said Sangma in his petition will pray before the Supreme Court for setting aside the election of Mukherjee on the ground that he was holding an office of profit.

Jain, a former BJP MP, was earlier Sangma's election representative but will now be assisting him in his professional capacity.

The BJP, which backed Sangma as a Presidential candidate, has distanced itself from the election petition process after Mukherjee got elected.

The party had dissociated itself from any move by Sangma to challenge Mukherjee's election, saying such a decision would be in his personal capacity.

When asked about BJP's role in filing of election petition against Mukherjee, party spokesperson Rajiv Pratap Rudy had said, "We would like to make it clear if Sangma takes such a step, then it will be his personal choice. As far as BJP and NDA is concerned, post-election we have welcomed the election of the President of India and we would not like to link this to the party or to the NDA."

Sangma's team had objected to Mukherjee's candidature contending that he held an office of profit as chairman of Indian Statistical Institute at the time of filing his nomination, which the government and Mukherjee have vehemently denied.

They alleged that a copy of resignation letter submitted by Mukherjee carried a forged signature.

Objections raised during scrutiny of Mukherjee's papers were also turned down by the Returning officer, which was challenged and the Election Commission refused to entertain Sangma's petition saying the same could be moved in the Supreme Court after the election.