By IANS
New Delhi : As many as 84 candidates have filed their nominations by Saturday for the July 19 presidential elections, though many of them appeared to be non-serious, naming Mahatma Gandhi and other freedom fighters as their proposers and seconders.
Satish Chandra Sharma from Uttarakhand had, apart from Mahatma Gandhi, Maharani Laxmibhai, Tantia Tope and Shaheed Bhagat Singh among his proposers and seconders.
He was no exception as another candidate, Prem Singh Saini from Uttar Pradesh, listed among his proposers Sonia Gandhi, Manmohan Singh, Moti Lal Bohra (not Vora) and Renuka Choudhary.
Mahesh Chandra Sharma from Uttar Pradesh wrote in the column for proposers: "no need for any proposers under the constitution."
Saturday was the last day for filing nominations.
At the preliminary stage of filing nominations, the candidate has to attach only a copy of the voters' list mentioning his or her name.
However, when the nominations are scrutinised on Monday, the picture will become clear as to who is eligible to contest for the country's highest constitutional office.
The last date for withdrawal is July 4 with counting scheduled for July 21.
The election is almost certain to be a direct contest between Pratibha Patil, fielded by the ruling United Progressive Alliance (UPA)-Left parties-Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and independent candidate Vice President Bhairon Singh Shekhawat, backed by the main opposition National Democratic Alliance (NDA).
Two more sets of nominations were filed for Patil, including one from Daman and Diu and one from Nagar Haveli, both union territories.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Priya Ranjan Dasmunsi, acting as Patil's election agent, said that a number of nominations on her behalf had been filed by the MPs, MLAs and prominent leaders of all the constituents of the UPA, the Left and the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP).
He said the proposers and seconders for Patil's candidature belonged to all the states and union territories.
At the last count 267 of them had proposed Patil's nomination and 275 seconded it, said Dasmunsi.