SC to deliver verdict on RPA tommorow

New Delhi, Aug 21 (UNI) The Supreme Court will deliver its much-awaited judgement tomorrow on the validity of the amendment in the Representation of People Act, 1951 on the issue of doing away with the requirement of domicile for a candidate contesting the Rajya Sabha elections.

The judgement is likely to have wide ramifications and may also affect Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and several other members of his cabinet.

The petition filed by Kuldip Nayyar, an eminent journalist and former Lok Sabha member Inderjeet, had challenged the amendment of Section 8 (4) of the RPA which states that a candidate contesting a Rajya Sabha election does not necessarily have to be a resident of that constituency.

Dr Singh is a Rajya Sabha member from Asom where he does not have a permanent residence.

According to the petitioners, a person representing a constituency must be a resident of that area so that he is aware of the problems faced by the people of his constituency.

The Union Government on the other hand, had defended the impugned amendment on the ground that elections to the Council of States are indirect and the electorate includes all the MLA's and members of the Lok Sabha, and therefore, the requirement of domicile is not necessary.

UNI AKS/SC PB PC2119