M A I N   N E W S

Cong MLAs refuse to endorse Gill’s nomination
Sarbjit Dhaliwal
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, March 16
Visibly upset over the nomination of former Chief Election Commissioner M.S. Gill for the Rajya Sabha Elections, a number of Congress MLAs categorically refused to sign his nomination papers today. At least 10 MLAs are required to sign the nomination papers of a candidate for the Rajya Sabha seat. Sources said about 15 ruling party MLAs at a meeting held late last night, decided not to endorse Mr Gill’s nomination papers.

Mr Gill is said to be a personal choice of Ms Sonia Gandhi, President of the All-India Congress Committee. Sources said Mr Gill was also supported by Mr Harkishan Singh Surjeet, a senior leader of the CPM. Earlier, the Congress had approached Mr Gill to became a candidate for the Tarn Taran Lok Sabha seat. However, Mr Gill preferred the Rajya Sabha route to enter Parliament.

The filing of the nomination papers by Mr Gill was marked by panic, commotion and nervousness. First, there was confusion whether Mr Gill was enlisted as a voter. When this was sorted out, it came to notice that Mr Gill had not brought an attested certified copy of his enrolment as a voter.

Chief Minister Amarinder Singh immediately got in touch with the party high command in Delhi and informed it about the “ problem”. The high command then cleared the name of Mr Hanspal as a covering candidate for Mr Gill. As Mr Hanspal was certain last evening about the clearance of his name for the Rajya Sabha elections he had got all nomination papers ready. However, Mr Gill arranged from Delhi an attested photocopy of a certificate stating that he was registered as a voter at serial number 536 in constituency number 3 at Minto Road, Delhi.

The copy was than attached with his nomination papers.

Legal experts say that though Mr Gill is enlisted as a voter in Delhi he can contest the elections from Punjab. Mr Ashwani Kumar, who has been renominated as a candidate for the Rajya Sabha from Punjab, said that a necessary amendment had been effected in the law in this connection. The only legal requirement is that one should be enlisted as voter in the country to contest the Rajya Sabha elections from any state.

Meanwhile, top Congress party sources said the high command had not given any weightage to the opinion of its senior leaders while picking up candidates for the Rajya Sabha. Mr Ashwani Kumar is also a personal choice of Ms Sonia Gandhi. “I feel great that I have been renominated by Ms Gandhi. My performance in the Rajya Sabha has been rewarded by her,” said Mr Kumar when asked about his reaction.

Real surprise, has, however, been sprung by Mr Dharampal Sabharwal as his name was no where in the reckoning. As his name was disclosed as a candidate by the party high command to top leaders, they were astonished.

Sources said Capt Amarinder Singh was pushing the name of Chowdhary Gurmail Singh, a former Education Minister from Hoshiarpur. The state leadership has lodged its protest with the high command. There are reports that Mrs Rajinder Kaur Bhattal had urged the high command to nominate at least one person of her choice for the Rajya Sabha elections. She backed the candidature of Mr Brij Lal Goel.

About his nomination by the Congress, Mr Gill said that he retired from the Election Commission of India three years ago and “was not supposed to be bound by the commission rules for ever”. He was an ordinary citizen now and had every right to contest election or do whatever else he wanted”. He would plead the cause of the farming community in the Rajya Sabha, if elected the former CEC said.

BJP opposes Cong proposing ex-CEC’s name for RS
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, March 16
The BJP today criticised the Congress for “undermining” the impartiality of the Election Commission by proposing to nominate former Chief Election Commissioner M.S. Gill as its candidate in the Rajya Sabha.

“Election Commission’s political impartiality has come under question after the Congress pitted (former Chief Election Commissioner) Mr T.N. Seshan against Mr L.K. Advani from Gandhinagar in the last Lok Sabha elections and now proposing to nominate Mr Gill to the Rajya Sabha,” Law Minister and senior BJP leader Arun Jaitley told newspersons.

“Mr Seshan joining the Congress to fight the Lok Sabha elections could have been a one-time aberration but when it happens twice it becomes a pattern which raises doubts over the impartiality of the political ombudsman (Election Commission),” he stressed.

Mr Jaitley hastened to add that the BJP was not questioning the conduct of either Mr Gill or Mr Seshan, but was only raising the issue of constitutional appointees, like the Chief Election Commissioner first being appointed by a political party and after retirement taking up party jobs.

“This does not augur well with the independent and non-partisan nature of the CEC’s post,” he said.

Asked about former Governors and Comptroller and Auditor-General (CAG) joining the BJP, Mr Jaitley said the Election Commission is directly concerned with the conduct of impartial elections.

BJP President M. Venkaiah Naidu said his party would not rope in any former CEC into active politics.

Mr Jaitley said the BJP was open to bringing in a legislation barring persons holding posts like CEC from entering active politics after retirement, if consensus so builds up after a through debate on the issue.