Kochi: Power Minister P M Sayeed today (May 28, 2004) said there was nothing wrong in being inducted as Minister in the Union Cabinet, despite losing the election from Lakshadweep.

"I was asked to come to the Rashtrapati Bhavan three hours before the swearing in ceremony," Sayeed told reporters when he was asked whether it was not wrong to accept a Cabinet berth despite not having the people's mandate.

Just as he was recovering from his shock defeat by 71 votes from Lakshadweep, he was given "another shock by being elevated as Minister", Sayeed said.

Sayeed, who was in Kochi on his way to Lakshadweep, told reporters that considering his 37 years of service to the Congress party, the Congress president had decided to give him a Cabinet berth despite losing the elections.

"Were not Jaswant singh, Pramod Mahajan, Sushma Swaraj, O Rajagopal Ministers in the Cabinet despite being defeated in the elections?" Sayeed asked.

As per constitutional norms, there was nothing wrong in being made a Minister after failing in the election, he said, adding he was not aware from where he would be elected to the Rajya Sabha.

He alleged that there was blatant misuse of official machinery in the polls by Janata Dal-United (JD-U), in Lakshadweep.