NGO moves SC to declare Masood, Lalu seats vacant

An NGO has moved the Supreme Court for directions to the general secretaries of the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha to declare the seats of disqualified MPs Lalu Prasad and Rasheed Masood vacant, paving the way for fresh elections to these.

An NGO has moved the Supreme Court for directions to the general secretaries of the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha to declare the seats of disqualified MPs Lalu Prasad and Rasheed Masood vacant, paving the way for fresh elections to these.

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Lok Prahari — the NGO that was among the petitioners on whose plea the SC had on July 10 said an MP/MLA should be immediately disqualified upon his/her conviction – said the two MPs’ memberships had terminated from the date of their conviction. However, their seats haven’t been notified as vacant.

The society also appealed to the court for modifying the July 10 judgment. The verdict should be applicable to “all” sitting MPs and MLAs, including those convicted and sentenced in criminal cases even before the order was delivered, it added.

Lalu Prasad was disqualified after being sentenced to 4 years in jail in the fodder scam.

Rasheed Masood was convicted and sentenced to five years’ imprisonment in a corruption case. Though the secretary generals of the two Houses issued notifications disqualifying them, they haven’t yet declared the seats vacant.