In a bid to embarrass National Democratic Alliance-backed presidential nominee Bhairon Singh Shekhawat, the Congress on Tuesday sought disqualification of former minister K Natwar Singh, a day after he proposed his name in the election.
The Congress, which on Monday attacked Shekhawat, accusing him of hoping for victory on the basis of cross-voting, filed the petition against Natwar Singh seeking action from Shekhawat, who is also the competent authority to decide the disqualification issue in his capacity as Chairman of the Rajya Sabha.
Natwar Singh, who was suspended last year after his problems with the party on the Volcker issue, was prominently seated with the NDA leaders when Shekhawat filed his nomination.
The petition was filed the party Chief Whip V Narayanasamy on the ground that Natwar Singh had campaigned for the Samajwadi Party in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly and thus had attracted the provisions of the anti-defection law.
Congress spokesman Abhishek Manu Singhvi told reporters that Natwar Singh's campaign for the Samajwadi Party was seen on the visual media and that was "enough evidence" for him to be disqualified under the 10th Schedule of the Constitution.
Singhvi said the Congress had filed the disqualification against Natwar Singh in May, but it was returned citing "procedural deficiencies".
Hence the fresh petition. He said Shekhawat had Natwar Singh as the "principal" proposer for his presidential candidature despite being "fully aware" of the disqualification proceedings initiated by the Congress against him.
"The Congress chief whip had in May discussed the issue of Natwar Singh's disqualification with the vice president for over 30 minutes," Singhvi said.
Terming the proposal of Shekhawat's candidature by Natwar Singh as an act of "grossest conflict of interest", Singhvi said it amounted to an insult and denigration of the Constitutional office.
Congress had on Monday questioned the candidature of the vice president accusing him of having the basic plank of "victory through defections."
It said the vice president has decided to contest "on the sole premise and solitary ground" that he would be able to engineer defections on a mass scale from the UPA-Left-Bahujan Samaj Party combine.
It had also accused Shekhawat of "indulging in politicking in a most brazen manner" by attending a NDA meeting while occupying the second highest constitutional post.
