The Hindu : Sahgal to file papers today

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Friday, Jun 21, 2002

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Sahgal to file papers today

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI JUNE 20. The Left parties today geared up for the presidential poll with its candidate, Lakshmi Sahgal, scheduled to file her nomination papers here tomorrow.

Ahead of the event, Capt. Sahgal, accompanied by CPI (M) politburo member, Sitaram Yechury, met the President, K.R. Narayanan, this evening.

It was described as a courtesy call.

Two sets of nomination paper would be filed by the Left parties and the Janata Dal (Secular) on behalf of Capt. Sahgal with the returning officer, secretary-general of the Rajya Sabha. Heading one set of proposers is the West Bengal Chief Minister, Buddhadeb Bhattacharya, while the Left parties Parliamentary Party leaders and MPs would propose the other set.

The former Prime Minister, H.D. Deve Gowda, who heads the JD (S) is expected to be here at the time of filing of the nomination while the Left Parliamentary parties leaders, including Somnath Chatterjee, J. Chittaranjan, Debabrata Biswas and Abani Roy would also be present.

Capt. Sahgal would visit relief camps at Ahmedabad on June 29 and officially begin her campaign on July 2 at Kolkata. She was expected to visit some 10 odd States ahead of the July 15 election.

The rest of the electorate would be addressed to individually through mail, her campaign managers said.

The Left parties have decided that the presidential candidate would be accompanied by one of its MPs which would also take care of the travel cost.

The main expenditure would be on mailers as Capt. Sahgal is expected to stay with friends or relatives at most of places.

Meanwhile, CPI (M) politburo member, Prakash Karat, rejected appeals by Samajwadi Party and the Telugu Desam Party to the Left parties to desist from contesting against the NDA nominee, A.P.J. Abdul Kalam.

"The TDP is with the NDA whose policies we are opposed to. We have no idea of the policies of their candidate, Mr. Karat told The Hindu.

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