Prez poll: Sangma challenges Pranab's nomination

Opposition Presidential nominee P A Sangma on Monday sought cancellation of nomination of United Progressive Alliance candidate Pranab Mukherjee under the office of profit rules on the ground that he is the chairman of the Indian Statistical Institute.

In a complaint to the secretary general of the Rajya Sabha, who is the returning officer for the Presidential election, Sangma's lawyer Satpal Jain demanded that Mukherjee's papers be cancelled at the scrutiny stage as he holds an office of profit.

Jain said that Mukherjee is the chairperson of the ISI and, hence, cannot contest the Presidential poll under the office of profit rules.

Monday is the last day for scrutiny of forms for the Presidential election. The last date of withdrawal of candidature is July 4.

Asked about the complaint, Home Minister P Chidambaram and Parliamentary Affairs Minister P K Bansal told the media, "We will get back."

This is the second high-profile instance involving a leader under the office of profit rules. Congress chief Sonia Gandhi had resigned her Lok Sabha seat in 2006 when there were objections that as the chairperson of the  National Advisory Council, she was holding an office of profit. She contested and won the Rae Bareli seat again.

Later, the office of profit rules were amended and the chairperson of the NAC was exempted from it. Gandhi again became the chairperson of the body in March 2010.