ALLAHABAD/NEW DELHI: The Election Commission rejected a petition seeking Congress President Sonia Gandhi’s disqualification as a member of Parliament for receiving a foreign award.

Although outgoing Chief Election Commissioner N. Gopalaswami was all for an inquiry into the matter, two election commissioners — Navin Chawla and S.Y. Quraishi — were not in favor of it, thus the poll panel rejected the petition.

A Kerala-based advocate had sought Sonia’s disqualification as MP for accepting the Order of Leopold, the second highest civilian honor of Belgium, when she visited the country in 2006.

Meanwhile, Sonia yesterday attacked former ally Samajwadi Party, calling it a changeling, and also targeted the Bharatiya Janata Party for its promise to establish a Ram Rajya if voted to power.

“The Samajwadi Party is such a party that befriends someone at one moment and then becomes its enemy the next moment,” she told an election rally in Allahabad.

Criticizing the BJP’s concept of an ideal state – “Ram Rajya,” Sonia said: “A true Ram Rajya is one in which there is no discrimination, no hatred and no clashes. It’s a peaceful place where there is justice, equality and security for all.”

She reminded the gathering that her late husband former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, based on his vision of “Young India” had reduced the minimum voting age to 18. “Seventy percent of the population is under 35. For many of our young voters it will be their first opportunity to exercise their right to franchise. I ask them to remember that it was Rajiv Gandhi, who because of his immense faith in the country’s youth, had got the minimum voting age reduced to 18,” Gandhi said.

“The ongoing elections are an opportunity to help fulfill the dream of Rajiv, who had left behind a vision for a new India in 21st century,” Gandhi said. Giving extra attention to the importance that people of Allahabad hold for her family and for the country, she said: “The people of Allahabad, which has been home to many freedom fighters and leaders, including Rajiv’s grandfather and former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, have a special duty to fulfill.”

— With input from agencies