All Eyes On Poll Body's Next Move On Wayanad Seat After Rahul Gandhi Row

Bypolls to vacant seats in the Parliament and state legislatures must be held within six months, according to the law.

The Wayanad Lok Sabha constituency in Kerala, which fell vacant yesterday after Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's disqualification as a Member of Parliament, may witness by-election as early as September.

Mr Gandhi's disqualification came following his conviction in a defamation case and a two-year jail sentence by a court in Gujarat's Surat on Thursday. The Congress leader has been granted bail for 30 days to appeal the verdict.

Bypolls to vacant seats in the Parliament and state legislatures must be held within six months from when the seat fell vacant, according to Section 151A of the Representation of the People Act, 1951.

Legal experts said Mr Gandhi automatically stood disqualified after his conviction.