| The Congress candidate from the Lucknow Lok Sabha constituency, Akhilesh Das, withdrew his nomination today, in the wake of Independent candidate Ram Jethmalani's reiteration that he was very much in the fray and would contest against Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee from the prestigious constituency.
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| Earlier, Jethamalani, a senior laywer, had filed his nomination as a Congress-backed Independent candidate, but later announced he was withdrawing his candidature. This led to Congress nominee Akhilesh Das filing his nomination from this seat.
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| Das yesterday withdrew his nomination after Jethamalani said he was very much in the contest and would fight against Vajpayee from Lucknow.
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| “The fight is on and will continue till May 5 (which is the polling day),” Jethmalani said.
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| “If I withdraw, we’ll have to set aside the election for the Prime Minister,” Jethmalani told reporters in New Delhi after returning from London.
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| When asked to clarify whether he would himself be in the race or only lend his support to the Congress and campaign for its candidate, he said, “The Congress is supporting me, where is the question of my supporting it?"
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| Jethmalani said he would leave New Delhi for Lucknow today and would remain there till the elections.
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| “If Jethmalani gives us the assurance and he is giving it, that there will be a fierce contest against the Prime Minister, who has done nothing for the country, then certainly the Congress will withdraw its candidate. Since Jethmalani is in the fray now, we will have to withdraw our candidate,” Congress spokesman Kapil Sibal said.
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| Yesterday was the last date for withdrawal of names.
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| There was speculation over Jethmalani's continuance in the fray after Vajpayee made a public appeal asking him to withdraw from the race.
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| Reiterating that he was still a friend of the prime minister, Jethmalani said: “I had compulsions because of my son’s illness. I did not run away (following the PM’s appeal).”
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| The lawyer, who had once served as Vajpayee’s law minister, said he would highlight “many” issues during his campaigning. Among them was the need to maintain the unity of the country.
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| As he elaborated, he came down heavily against Vajpayee for allowing Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi to continue to govern Gujarat in the aftermath of the riots after the Godhra carnage.
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| He also attacked Union Law and Justice Minister Arun Jaitley. “He is Modi’s friend and has been elected to the Rajya Sabha from Gujarat. If the minister for justice mixes with him (Modi) can there be justice,” Jethmalani asked, without naming Jaitley.
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| He said that he had spoken to the prime minister “some time ago” and told him to “dissolve the Tehelka commission, which is against the liberty of the Press that I have been fighting for.”
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| Jethmalani said he had also told Vajpayee not to have any alliance with Tamil Nadu Chief Minster Jayalalithaa because although she had been exonerated by the Supreme Court on a “technical ground”, the apex court had condemned her. “A person who has been judicially condemned, how can you go and embrace her,” he said. |
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