New Delhi, June 21
Octogenarian freedom fighter and Left front nominee Lakshmi Sahgal today formally entered the electoral arena for the July 15 presidential contest when she filed her nomination papers to challenge A.P.J. Abdul Kalam.

Accompanied by former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda, Left leaders, her daughter and former CPM MP Subhashini Ali, 87-year old Capt Sahgal filed two sets of nominations at 11.40 a.m. before Rajya Sabha Secretary-General R.C. Tripathi, who is also the returning officer for the election.

Mrs Sahgal becomes the first woman to enter the fray for the highest constitutional office. Dr Kalam, who is backed by virtually all parties except the Left, filed his nomination on Tuesday. The nominations closes on June 25.

While one set of papers was filed by the Left parties and JD(S) MPs led by Mr Somnath Chatterjee (CPM), Mr J. Chittaranjan (CPI), Mr Debabrata Biswas (Forward Bloc), Mr Abani Roy (RSP) and Mr Harishankar Mahale and Mr Javare Gowda (JD-S), the other set was proposed by West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee and Left MLAs from West Bengal, Kerala and other states.

Janata Dal (Secular) President and former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda and senior leaders of the CPM, CPI, RSP and Forward Bloc were present when the papers were filed in the office of the Rajya Sabha Secretary-General.

Those present on the occasion included CPM MPs Basudeb Acharia, Hannan Mollah and S. Ramchandran Pillai.

Meanwhile, four Left parties have shared the security deposit of Rs 15,000 for Capt Sahgal.

In Dr Kalam’s case, apart from his own payment, the Congress party also paid Rs 15,000 for the nomination it filed on his behalf.

With only four days left for the last date of filing of nominations for July 15 Presidential elections, as many as 28 persons, including Dr Kalam and Capt Sahgal, have filed their nominations till today.