Monday 18 / November / 2024
New Delhi: External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Saturday dismissed reports that she was a contender in the presidential poll as "rumours".
Though neither the government nor the opposition has declared their candidate for the poll to elect the country's first citizen, several names, including Swaraj's, have been doing the rounds.
"These are rumours. I am an external affairs minister and you are asking me something which is an internal matter," she said when asked by reporters whether she was being considered as a candidate in the presidential poll.
Meanwhile, two more persons filed on Saturday their nominations for the presidential poll even as political parties are yet to finalise their candidates for the election. On the fourth day of nominations, two people submitted their papers but one of them was rejected for want of required documents.
Ajay Kathuria from Dehradun and Sushil Kumar Agarwal from New Delhi were the two who filed their nominations. Kathuria's nomination was rejected as he did not attach the copy of electoral roll of the parliamentary constituency in which he is registered as a voter.
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According to rules, every candidate who files a nomination for the post must attach a copy of their entry in electoral roll of the parliamentary constituency in which the candidate is registered as a voter.
In the last three days, 13 persons have filed their nominations, of which six were rejected on the spot. These include a couple from Mumbai - Saira Bano Mohammed Patel and her husband Mohammed Patel Abdul Hamid. The couple told the returning officer that it would be "good" if one of them became the country's president, and the other, the vice president.
The remaining candidates are also liable to be rejected when their nominations will be scrutinised as none have the signatures of 50 proposers and as many seconders from the list of electors which are essential for a valid nomination.
Elected members of the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha and of state legislative assemblies are the electors. Candidates have to deposit Rs15,000 each as security along with their nominations.
The presidential poll is scheduled to be held on July 17 while the counting of votes would be held on July 20. As per the schedule, June 28 is the last day for nominations, while a candidate can withdraw from the electoral battle till July 1.
