NEW DELHI: The NDA filed its complaint with the Election Commission that the Congress was using "undue influence" on voters in the presidential election and sought "appropriate action" against the party.
In its complaint, the opposition alliance alleged that the Congress' petition for disqualification of Natwar Singh as Rajya Sabha member showed that it was using pressure tactics to secure support for UPA-Left candidate Pratibha Patil because he was a proposer to the nomination of vice-president Bhairon Singh Shekhawat.
NDA spokesperson Sushma Swaraj, who led the delegation to the Election Commission, told reporters that the Congress' claims that it was its second petition for Singh's disqualification as Rajya Sabha member because of his role in the SP's campaign in Uttar Pradesh was "false".
"We have sought appropriate action from the Election Commission," she said. Swaraj argued that the disqualification plea came barely a day after the former union minister became a proposer to Shekhawat's candidacy.
BJP leaders Swaraj and Vijay Kumar Malhotra submitted their complaint with Election Commissioner Naveen Chawla, whom their party accuses of links with the Congress. CEC N Gopalaswamy and Election Commissioner S Y Quraishi were not present.
The BJP has launched a fierce attack on Patil over allegations against her as head of a cooperative bank. It has also come out with a booklet carrying articles by former union minister Arun Shourie on Patil's role in the bank and over allegations that the former Rajasthan governor "protected" her brother in connection with a murder case.
NDA sources, however, say the opposition alliance has yet to receive any concrete offer of support from parties outside the grouping despite the BJP's high-pitched attack on the UPA-Left candidate. "Our media strategists are on the job.
The BJP has launched a vigorous campaign against Patil, but the fact is that this is not a direct election in which people participate. Whether this media campaign will be able to win support from parties that do not want to associate themselves in any way with us is yet unclear," a senior BJP leader said.
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