Supreme Court to Examine Conviction's Impact on Political Leadership Rights
The Supreme Court is set to deliberate whether a convicted politician can be prevented from forming or leading a political party. This follows a 2017 public interest litigation challenging the balance between voting disqualification and the constitutional right to political association under Article 19. A decision is expected in November.
- Country:
- India
The Supreme Court is poised to scrutinize an important constitutional query: Can a politician, who is deemed ineligible to vote due to conviction, still exercise their right to lead or form a political party?
The question, branded as 'interesting' by Justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi, forms the crux of a 2017 public interest litigation submitted by Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay. The constitutional implications of this issue will be reviewed in November.
Justice Kant remarked that disqualification from statutory rights should not automatically translate to a loss of constitutional privileges. Upadhyay contends that current laws allow persons who can't vote to still distribute party tickets and govern political organizations, advocating for stricter regulations.
(With inputs from agencies.)
Google News