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| Anti-Patil plea in SC was 'Cong sponsored': BJP | | |
NEW DELHI, JUL 3
The BJP today alleged that the petition challenging the nomination of UPA-Left presidential candidate Pratibha Patil and dismissed by the Supreme Court was a "Congress-sponsored" litigation.
"It had to be dismissed. It was a Congress-sponsored petition," BJP spokesman Prakash Javadekar told reporters here.
He claimed it was filed so as to give the Congress an opportunity to discredit the BJP's campaign against her.
Javadekar's comments came as the court dismissed the petition, filed by a lawyer, saying allegations it was referring to against Patil were not backed by material evidence.
But BJP leaders privately admit the court's rejection of the plea has delivered a huge blow to the party's campaign against Patil over allegations in connection with her role as head of a cooperative bank.
A senior BJP leader, who did not want to be named, expressed fears that the court's move could take the steam out of the NDA's campaign.
"It is an embarrasment for us. A big one rather," he said.
After the rejection of the petition, the party, insiders say, is now gathering information regarding a Jalgaon irrigation project, which it believes is linked to Patil.
BJP sources said the party would examine whether there were irregularities in terms of obtaining loan for the project and its repayment.
A section of the party meanwhile is disappointed with the way the NDA's presidential campaign is being carried out, party sources said.
"It will be a bigger blow if the EC too rejects our petitions. There is no dearth of experienced leaders in the BJP. Under-utilisation of that experience led to the party's defeat in UP and Goa. The party should use it to maximum in these presidential elections," a BJP leader said.
Former BJP legal cell convenor Satpal Jain, who is now in charge of party affairs in Himachal Pradesh, is a leading figure in the NDA campaign for vice-president Bhairon Singh Shekhawat.
A former aide of senior BJP leader L K Advani, Sudheendra Kulkarni last month organised a press conference for a woman, who accused Patil of shielding her brother in connection with a murder case.
BJP spokesman Ravi Shankar Prasad, also a lawyer, submitted a petition to the EC by Advani in which the former deputy prime minister said presidential candidates too should be asked to dislose their assets.
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