Congress leader Rahul Gandhi will file a plea challenging the conviction in a 2019 defamation case in the Surat court in the next couple of days. He was sentenced to two years imprisonment for his comment about the Modi surname. The conviction led to his disqualification from the Lok Sabha, triggering a political uproar. The Congress has announced a month-long protest programme with the opposition parties to fight for democracy.
The Election Commission has said that it will wait for Rahul Gandhi to exhaust all legal remedies before announcing the Wayanad by-election, if Rahul Gandhi’s conviction is stayed by a higher court, his disqualification from the Lok Sabha can be revoked. Meanwhile, the Congress has announced a month-long protest programme bringing together all opposition parties in their fight to “save democracy.” Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge has convened several meetings of opposition parties after Rahul Gandhi’s disqualification, and 19 opposition parties are now on board with the Congress. However, the Election Commission has stated that it is in no hurry to announce a Wayanad by-election, as Rahul Gandhi has one month to appeal against the court order. Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar has said that they will wait to take a call after exhausting that particular remedy which the trial court had accorded.
