New Delhi:
The union cabinet approved amendments to the Representation of the Peoples Act on Thursday to negate a recent order by the Supreme Court on immediate disqualification of convicted lawmakers, sources said.
The Supreme Court had ruled that MPs or legislators shall stand disqualified from the membership of the house from the date of conviction in a trial court.
The court held Section 8(4) of the Representation of the Peoples Act as ultra vires.
The section allows a convicted lawmaker to remain in office till the pendency of appeal. This ruling could see several lawmakers in both parliament and state assemblies lose their seats.
At an all-party meeting held earlier, the leaders had expressed their dissent over the Supreme Court's ruling.