ECI disqualifies ‘convicted’ Chaurasia

However, Chaurasia presented his representation before Speaker Mata Prasad Pandey on Wednesday claiming that his conviction has been stayed by district court in Mirzapur.

Vidhan Sabha secretariat, which received the directions from the ECI has again reverted the matter to the commission for clarification. Senior officials dealing with the case stated that Chaurasia had taken plea on grounds that disqualification is not allowed if the conviction is stayed.

Principal Secretary Vidhan Sabha Pradeep Dubey, however, refused to comment on the status. On Wednesday, Chaurasia was present during the proceedings of the House.

“We have sent a letter to Vidhan Sabha for obtaining a notification of vacancy on Chaurasia’s seat. It will be sent to ECI for further action,” Ramakant Pandey, Additional Chief Electoral Officer, UP told The Indian Express.

“If there is any other reply regarding his representation, we will forward it to ECI,” he stated.

Chaurasia was found guilty of manhandling and extending criminal threat to a postman in 1995. The Chief Judicial Magistrate’s court in Mirzapur on February 28 sentenced Chaurasia to rigorous imprisonment of three years in one of the offences, and two years each for two other offences. After passing the order, the court took him into judicial custody and later granted him bail in the evening after furnishing two personal bonds of Rs 20,000 each.

The Uttar Pradesh government on March 3 had forwarded its report on sentencing of Chaurasia to ECI.

Chaurasia had contested the previous Lok Sabha poll from Varanasi against Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Earlier, SP MLA Kaptan Singh Rajput had lost his membership after being convicted in a murder case.