Congress MP Masood disqualified from Rajya Sabha; Lalu, Jagdish next

Masood's conviction is the first case after the July 10 Supreme Court judgement that struck down sub-section 4 of Section 8 of Representation of the People Act, under which incumbent MPs, MLAs and MLCs can avoid disqualification till pendency of the appeal against conviction in a higher court.

The appeal has to be made within three months of the conviction.

Seeking to negate the SC verdict, government had introduced a Bill in Parliament in the Monsoon session.

But following differences with the opposition, the bill could not be passed.

An ordinance on the lines of the bill was later cleared by the Union Cabinet on September 24 to protect convicted lawmakers.