|
Abdul Kalam enters
the fray
Trivandrum,
India, Jul. 2 2002
(INS News)
--
Eminent missile Technologist Dr. Avul Pakir Jainulabdeen
Abdul Kalam who is certain to win the election with
the support of major political formation like the
ruling National Democratic
Alliance and the main Opposition Party Congress
to the highest constitutional office President filed
his nomination papers.
His opponent, freedom fighter, Captain Lahsmi Sahgal,
will be first ever woman candidate in the Presendential
poll, supported by the Left Parties, is slated to
file her nomination papers on 21st June.
The nomination papers were filed at the office of
the Secretary General of the Rajya Sabha and Returning
Officer of the Election Dr. Kalam was brought in
procession from the Office of the Prime Minister
in the Parliament to the Returning Officers Room.
Dr.
Kalam was accompanied by Atal Behari Vajpayee and
his senior
Cabinet Collegues, Union Home Minister, L.K. Advani,
External Affairs Minister Jaswant Sing and Defence
Minister George Fernandes.
Two sets of nomination Papers were filled on Dr.Kalams
behalf, each set signed by 60 proposers and seconders.Fifty
members of the electrol college should propose a
Presidential nomination, which 50 seconders should
back. The Ruling National Democratic Alliance however
filed 60 signatures from each category.
The main opposition party Congress filed a separate
set of nomination papers signed by the party President
Sonia Gandhi, Shivaraj Patil, Manmohan Sing, Ahmed
Patil, P.M. Syed, Ambika Sony and others.
Explaining the decision to file separate set of
nomination papers, the Congress spokesman Jaipal
Reddy said his party had taken a positive decision
in favour of Dr. A.P.J. Kalam. We decided to file
it independently as a party and also decided to
file his nomination papers seperately.
The left parties which are in power in the state
of West Bengal, Tripura and main opposition in the
Kerala State constitute about 9% of total 10,96,000
value of votes of the Electrol College comprising
elected members of Parliament and State Leggislative
Assemblies.
--
Sam
Asharaf
- South Asia Correspondent in Trivandrum, India
-- To respond to this story or post a follow up
e-mail editor@insnews.org
|
