Samajwadi Party seeks Congress support against Sushma Swaraj

Bhopal, April 8 (IANS) The Samajwadi Party has sought Congress' support for its candidate against Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) Sushma Swaraj, who is contesting the Lok Sabha election from the Vidisha constituency in Madhya Pradesh.

The nomination from the constituency of Congress candidate Rajkumar Patel was cancelled due to a technical reason.

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'If the secular forces unite to support me at this point of time, we would be able to defeat the communal and fascist forces unitedly and would set an example,' said Chaudhary Munawwar Salim, the Samajwadi Party candidate, from Vidisha.

'I have talked to Patel and sought his support. I am sure the BJP candidate, howsoever big he or she may be, will be defeated if the Congress accedes to my request,' Salim told IANS.

Samajwadi Party state president Deep Narayan Yadav said the ball was now in the Congress court.

However, Patel Tuesday said he would challenge the returning officer's decision to reject his nomination papers.

Patel had not submitted the original 'A' form while filing his nomination Saturday. When the anomaly was noticed an hour before the deadline, the party rushed a fresh set of papers from Bhopal but could reach only after the deadline.

The returning officer rejected Patel's nomination.

'I will challenge the decision in court,' Patel told IANS.