Zee Media Bureau
New Delhi: Ex-Maharashtra chief minister Ashok Chavan on Wednesday filed his nomination papers for the Lok Sabha polls from Nanded constituency in Maharashtra.
Chavan had to quit as the Maharashtra CM after his name figured in the Adarsh Housing Society scam in 2010.
Speaking to a news channel, Chavan defended himself and said: "The party has taken a decision to give me a ticket after due consideration. Nothing has been proved against me. I am legally allowed to stand for the elections." He added: "Let the BJP speak about Yeddyurappa and Sriramulu (both of whom face graft charges)".
Congress president Sonia Gandhi, meanwhile, defended the decision to field Chavan, saying the former Maharashtra CM is not barred to contest elections by any law.
Responding to a query on the occasion of launch of Congress election manifesto for the 2014 Lok Sabha polls, Gandhi said the decision of fielding Ashok Chavan has been taken by the CEC.
Brushing aside controversies surrounding him over Adarsh housing scam, Congress on Tuesday decided to field Chavan for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls.
Responding to a volley of questions about scam-hit Ashok Chavan, Congress spokesperson Ajay Maken said: "No court or Election Commission has barred Ashok Chavan from contesting polls. His case is different from that of Suresh Kalmadi. While Kalmadi has been chargesheeted, court has not taken cognisance of the case against Chavan".
Last week, Congress had denied renomination to Kalmadi, sitting MP from Pune, in the wake of graft charges against him in the conduct of the Commonwealth Games in 2010 of which he was the chairman of the Organising Committee.
Name of Chavan was among the 12 candidates announced in the seventh list released by Congress last night. With this, a total of 398 candidates have been announced by the party.
