Jaya can't contest till cleared of charges -- EC

Jaya can't contest till cleared of charges -- EC
PRESS TRUST OF INDIA

New Delhi, Oct 9: Conviction of AIADMK supremo Jayalalitha by a Chennai special court in two TANSI land deal cases will debar her from contesting the next year's assembly polls in Tamil Nadu unless the judgement is stayed or until she is cleared of the conviction by a higher court, Election Commission sources said today.

"If she is not appealing in the higher court within the stipulated time of November 7 or if the higher court does not stay the conviction, then she will be debarred from contesting the elctions," the sources said.

Assembly poll in Tamil Nadu is due early next year.

The three-year sentence has grave political implications for Jayalalitha, as Sec 8(3) of the Representation of the People's Act says "any person convicted of any offence and sentenced to imprisonment of not less than two years shall be disqualified from the date of such conviction and shall continue to be disqualified for a further period of six years since his release".

The Election Commission has, in recent years, enforced this provision by mandating all prospective candidates to sign a declaration that they had not been convicted for any offence, while filing their nomination papers.

Jayalalitha was convicted in the `Pleasant Stay' Hotel case in February this year and was sentenced to one years' rigorous imprisonment for permitting construction of a multi-storey hotel at Kodaikanal in violation of norms.

Jayalalitha is facing trial in the Rs 66.65 crore `disproportionate assets' case and the Rs seven crore coal import deal of 1993.