Writ in SC on Laloo

It refers to writ filed in Supreme Court challenging election of Laloo Prasad Yadav from Chapra Lok Sabha constituency on 31.05.2004 after he had already taken oath as Lok Sabha member on 26.05.2004 to represent Madhepura constituency. All such confusions and unfair practices can and should be effectively checked by urgent reforms so that a person may not be allowed to contest from more than one constituency or for both Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabha. Even a sitting Parliamentarian may first have to resign from his/her seat before contesting polls for the state-legislature or taking oath as ministers in the state and vice-versa. Even a Rajya Sabha may be allowed to contest for Lok Sabha or Vidhan Sabha only after he/she resigns from Rajya Sabha and vice-versa. There have been cases when persons like Madanlal Khurana contested for both Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabha with an aim to become Chief Minister in case his party would have attained majority in Vidhan Sabha or otherwise he would retain Lok Sabha seat. Loopholes in the system causing costly by-elections for personal selfish interests of politicians must be plugged out. Also it may be noted that controversial deciding vote of the then Orissa Chief Minister Girdhar Gomango caused defeat of Atal Bihari Vajpayee government in the Lok Sabha dragging nation into a costly mid-term election.
Madhu Agrawal, Via e-mail Centralchronicle.com