NDA MLA's meet on Presidential poll in Chandigarh tomorrow

Shimla, July 7 (UNI) National Democratic Alliance (NDA) legislators from Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Punjab and J&K would meet in Chandigarh tomorrow to discuss their strategy for the Presidential election, a BJP leader today said.

Himachal Pradesh BJP incharge Satpal Jain told mediapersons here that Punjab Chief Minister Prakash Singh Badal would preside over the meet, which will also be attended by BJP leaders Arun Shourie and Vijay Kumar Malhotra.

The Jammu and Kashmir Panthers Party of J&K is also supporting the NDA-backed candidate and its members would take part in the meeting, he added.

Denying that the BJP was lowering the prestige of the highest post of the country by leveling charges against Ms Pratibha Patil, Mr Jain said it was not his party who levelled charges against Ms Patil, but only expressed its concerns when reports about them started appearing in the media.

He said that there are some misconceptions regarding voting in the presidential election, noting that neither can a party issue a whip to its members to vote for a particular member neither take action against them for not doing so under the anti-defection law.

Charging the Congress with trying to ''create pressure'' on the members of the electoral college by using these misconceptions, he asserted that about 4800 voters of the country would vote with their own conscience and no action could be taken against anyone regarding the violation of party direction or whip.

''The BJP expects cross-voting in this election and the one, who is capable and much eligible for the post would be the winner,'' he said.

UNI