Lok Sabha Secretary-General S. Bal Shekar, late on Monday night, issued orders disqualifying RJD’s Lalu Prasad and JD(U)’s Jagadish Sharma, who represented Saran and Jahanabad respectively, from the Lok Sabha in view of their conviction in the Chaibasa treasury case.
The Election Commission and all the government departments were sent copies of the gazette notification regarding the matter. The two cannot contest any election, including those for the Assembly/Council, for six years from the date of their release from jail.
The disqualification order will come into effect from September 30 when they were convicted by a special CBI court in Ranchi.
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While Mr. Prasad was sentenced to five years, Mr. Sharma was given a four-year jail term.
With this, the number of vacancies in the Lok Sabha has gone up to four.
Earlier, BJP member and former Union Minister Dilip Singh Judeo, elected from Bilaspur (Chhattisgarh) passed away on August 14 following an illness and the Nagaland People’s Front member Chonqshen Monqkosunqkum Chanq resigned on September 21.
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With this, as many as three members of Parliament, including Rajya Sabha member Rashid Masood, disqualified on Monday, have lost their seats after their conviction in corruption cases.
The Supreme Court, on July 10 this year, declared ultra vires Section 8(4) of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, which gave immunity to the convicted parliamentarians/legislators from disqualification, provided they had appealed against their conviction in the higher court within 90 days of being sentenced.