Kalam considering EC report on Jaya Bachchan diqualification

New Delhi, Mar 6 (UNI) President A P J Abdul Kalam ''is considering'' the Election Commission's recommendation on a petition seeking the disqualification of Samajwadi Party's Rajya Sabha member Jaya Bachchan for holding an office of profit, official sources said tonight.

Chief Election Commission B B Tandon, who is in Guwahati along with the two Election Commissioners to review the arrangements for the assembly polls, confirmed that the commission had forwarded its recommendation in the case of Ms Bachchan to Rashtrapati Bhavan. He, however, refused to specify the nature of its recommendation.

Commission sources said it had recommended her disqualification.

Official sources also said the President had forwarded another petition against SP's high-profile MP, Mr Amar Singh, to the EC, seeking its recommendations.

However, the spokespersons of both the EC and Rashtrapati Bhavan pleaded ignorance over the two developments -- the contents of EC recommendation and the President forwarding a complaint against Mr Amar Singh.

The complaint against Ms Bachchan had been made in October last year by Mr Madan Mohan, who had lost the election to Ms Bachchan, seeking her disqualification for holding the post of Chairperson of the Uttar Pradesh Film Development Board.

Mr Amar Singh is the Chairman of UP State Development Council.

Ms Bachchan also said she had not received any official communication on her disqualification, but accused the Congress of initiating the move against her. Ms Bachchan said she would challenge her disqualification in the Supreme Court.

While the disqualification of Parliament and members under the anti-defection Act is decided by the respective presiding officers, similar power to unseat members for a few other violations is vested with the President.

In Lucknow, Chief Minister and SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav reacting sharply to the development, stating it was part of the ongoing Congress campaign against his party.

''The Congress will have to face dire consequences if it continued with such petty politics,'' Mr Yadav said at a hurriedly called news conference at his residence here this afternoon.

''Politics is full of cases with members holding dual posts of profit including Congress president Sonia Gandhi, who is chairperson of several organisations like Nehru Trust and Rajiv Gandhi Foundation,'' he added.

He also named Congress RS members Subirami Reddy and Karan Singh in this regard.

Reacting to the news, dissident SP MP Raj Babbar said the party should go for legal recourse, instead of blaming anyone.

Welcoming the reported EC move, BSP chief Mayawati said it had taken the right decision.

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