Nearly three months after she was disqualified, Samajwadi Party leader Jaya Bachchan was on Thursday elected unopposed to the Rajya Sabha from Uttar Pradesh.
Bachchan lost her Rajya Sabha seat on March 6 after the Election Commission recommended her disqualification following a complaint from a Kanpur-based Congress leader that she was holding an office of profit -- Chairperson of UP Film Development Board.
Another former Samajwadi Party MP from Muzaffarnagar Amir Alam was also elected unopposed to the Upper House from the state. The seat had fallen vacant due to the resignation of Reliance group Chairman Anil Ambani in the wake of the office of profit controversy.
Both Bachchan and Amir were the only ones in the fray for the two vacant seats from the state and their election was a mere formality.
Bachchan's disqualification had triggered the resignation of Congress president Sonia Gandhi. he was subsequently re-elected to the Lok Sabha with a massive margin.
Later, a Bill providing exemption to 46 posts, including the National Advisory Council chairmanship, from the purview of the office of profit was passed by the Lok Sabha, but the President returned it to Parliament for reconsideration.
© 2024 Rediff.com -