SC to hear PA Sangma's plea against Pranab Mukherjee's election as President

New Delhi: The Supreme Court (SC) will be hearing former Lok Sabha Speaker PA Sangma's petition challenging President Pranab Mukherjee's predential bid on Thursday. Sangma has claimed that Pranab's election violated rules as he held an office of profit at the time of filing his nomination. Pranab has filed an affidavit in the apex court refuting that claim.

In the petition, Sangma had contended that Mukherjee was holding the offices of profit as the chairman of Indian Statistical Institute (ISI), Kolkata and was also the leader of the Congress Party in Lok Sabha when he had entered the Presidential race. The tribal leader from Meghalaya, who had lost the Presidential poll, had sought a direction for setting aside Mukherjee's election as the President and declaring him as elected to the post.

Sangma had said at the time of his election as President, Mukherjee was the leader of the Congress party in the Lok Sabha which was an office of profit as the person holding this office is entitled to various facilities, which are in addition to the facilities available to him as an MP.

Sangma has claimed that Pranab\'s election violated rules as he held an office of profit at the time of filing his nomination.

With Additional Inputs from PTI

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