Can Gandhi contest national elections due in 2024 ?

India’s main opposition leader Rahul Gandhi  is no longer a member of parliament following his conviction and sentencing in a 2019 defamation case by a court in Gujarat court.

“Rahul Gandhi… stands disqualified from the member of Lok Sabha from the date of hi s conviction,” a notice issued by the parliament said on Friday, referring to the lower house.

Gandhi, 52, was found guilty for a speech ahead of the 2019 general election in which he referred to thieves as having the surname Modi.

Gandhi, a scion of the Nehru-Gandhi family, will appeal in a higher court, his party said.

Congress members held protests in some parts of the country on Friday against Gandhi’s conviction and two-year-old jail sentence.

Congress officials have described the court order as politically motivated and accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of targeting political opponents.

Can Gandhi Contest Elections Due In 2024?

Gandhi faces the risk of not being able to contest Lok Sabha elections due in 2024 if his conviction is not suspended or overturned by a higher court before the elections.

According to a provision of the RP Act, a person sentenced to imprisonment of two years or more shall be disqualified “from the date of such conviction” and remain disqualified for another six years after serving time.

Gandhi represents the Wayanad constituency in the southern state of Kerala.