Everyone should vote by conscience in Prez polls: Sangma

"Today I have come to appeal to all MPs and MLAs. The Presidential elections are not held on the basis of political parties, it is above political party," Sangma told reporters. He said that in the Presidential elections a candidate is not of a political party.

"Pranab Mukherjee is not a Congress candidate. He has resigned from the party and is contesting as an independent. I am also an independent candidate," he said.

As per the constitution, the Presidential elections are held through secret ballot and whip is not issued by any political party, Sangma said.

"If a whip is issued by any party it is not valid," he added.

"Everybody has a right to vote according to his conscience. In 1969, conscience voting took place in which V V Giri won. I appeal to everyone again," he said. He said that a meeting of his legal team would be held on Wednesday evening at his residence, which would be attended by Janata Party President Subramanian Swamy.

The Election Commission on Tuesday rejected the petition of the Sangma camp against United Progressive Alliance candidate Pranab Mukherjee's nomination saying the same was not maintainable before it.

The Sangma camp had petitioned the EC against the decision of the Presidential poll returning officer of accepting the nomination papers  Mukherjee, despite their objections to the same on the ground that he allegedly occupied an office of profit.

Sangma said that Mukherjee was not a Congress nominee, but a UPA sponsored candidate.

On being asked about his comment terming the President house as a dumping ground, Sangma said he had said that about the Congress.

Asserting that Mukherjee had failed as the finance minister, he said that inflation was at its peak, the value of rupee has touched the lowest level and corruption was rampant and for all this the finance minister was responsible.

On being asked whether this was his own comment, Sangma said that this was the feeling of every individual of the country.

In reply to a question, he said that he had talked to Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee and said that initially she had decided to abstain from voting, but she would disclose her strategy a few hours before the poll.

To another question, he said that he sticks to his stand of opposing a person of foreign origin being the prime minister of the country.

When asked about the political career of his daughter and Nationalist Congress Party MP Agatha Sangama, he said, "We don't win election in someone's name, but on the basis of popularity."