Photo Source: ANI
Sonia Gandhi ceased to be a member of House w.e.f 20 Feb 2024 as per Lok Sabha website-HC Advocate
Babushahi Bureau
Chandigarh, March 23, 2024: Hemant Kumar, Advocate of Punjab and Haryana High Court shared that as per the Lok Sabha website, senior Congress leader Sonia ceased to be a member of the house with effect from February 20, 2024.
" It has been over one month since on 20 Feb 2024, Sonia Gandhi, MP from Rae Bareli in the current 17th Lok Sabha got declared elected unopposed for Rajya Sabha from the State of Rajasthan. as Congress party candidate. Meanwhile, even after being declared elected to Rajya Sabha, the official website of Lok Sabha, till a few days ago, continued to show Sonia Gandhi as sitting MP from Rae Bareli Parliamentary Constituency (PC) in the State of Uttar Pradesh," said Hemant Kumar.
Hemant Kumar, an Advocate at Punjab and Haryana High Court on March 7 filed an online RTI plea with the Lok Sabha Secretariat seeking information about the declaration and notification issued by it pertaining to Sonia Gandhi ceasing to a member of the 17th Lok Sabha consequent upon her election to Rajya Sabha with effect from 20 Feb 2024.
Although the Lok Sabha Secretariat is yet to supply a copy of the aforementioned declaration and notification under RTI, however when the Advocate today checked the Official Website of Lok Sabha, he noticed that the profile of Sonia Gandhi has been changed from current/sitting MP to former MP along with mentioning that she ceased to be a member of the Lok Sabha consequent upon her election to the Rajya Sabha.
Quoting Section 69(1) of Representation of the People Act, 1951, Hemant says it clearly provides that if a person who is already a member of the House of the People (Lok Sabha) and has taken his seat in such House is chosen a member of the Council of States (Rajya Sabha), his seat in the House of the People shall on the date of which he is so chosen, become vacant. Hence, on the very date on which Sonia Gandhi was chosen as Rajya Sabha MP from the