NEW DELHI: The main opposition leader, barely able to file in time Monday because of a bomb threat and other delays, accused the governing party of “masterminding a plot” to keep him out of coming elections.
Analysts say the parliamentary elections Nov. 22, 24 and 26 may be the closest since India gained independence from Britain 42 years ago.
Vishwanath Pratap Singh, lea der of the Janata Dal party, filed his nomination papers in the Fateh pur district barely half an hour before the deadline on a day filled with delay and diversion.
“It is a defeat of the government,” said N.C. Jain, a Janata Dal official. “He reached Fatehpur barely 30 minutes before the nominations were to close, but he did it.”
Singh had been airborne 28 minutes when his plane, part of the government run Vayudoot Air lines fleet, returned to New Delhi because of a “bomb threat”.
Singh conducted a protest at the airport, United News of India reported. After a three hour delay, in which no bomb was found but an unspecified technical problem was reported, the plane again took off for Kanpur, the nearest airport to Fatehpur.
After that, Singh had to drive two hours to reach Fatehpur in time, an aide in New Delhi said.
Singh’s charges are among several unrelated problems besetting Gandhi,
Last week, the forestry minister was accused of making improper advances to an environmentalist. On Monday, the defense minister refused to run for reelection to Parliament.
Article extracted from this publication >> November 3, 1989
