A delegation of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) will meet the Election Commission (EC) here on Saturday to challenge an order issued by the Returning Officer of the Presidential election, Mr V.K. Agnihotri. Mr Agnihotri’s decision to accept the nomination of the United Progressive Alliance’s (UPA) candidate, Mr Pranab Mukherjee, ignoring the charges of “office of profit,” has irked the NDA.
Mr Agnihotri had provided the Opposition a copy of his “detailed” order justifying the decision to accept Mr Mukherjee’s nomination. The NDA leaders said the order was “incomplete.” The Janata Party President and an NDA leader, Dr Subramanian Swamy, said they would ask the EC to intervene in the issue under Article 324 of the Constitution. “We are not satisfied with the order,” Dr Swamy said.
The NDA candidate, Mr P.A. Sangma’s advocate, Mr Satpal Jain said the Returning Officer should have recorded the findings from the arguments by the counsels of both Mr Sangma and Mr Mukherjee.