MPs and Office of Profit

<p data-pm-slice="0 0 []">On what grounds can a MP be disqualified? Quite a few! In this episode of <em>The Longest Constitution</em>, we look into constitutional provisions on an MP or MLA’s accountability. The Jaya Bachchan case relates to the first ground of disqualification from the government office listed under Article 102 - and that is, office of profit. Under the provisions of Article 102 (1) and Article 191 (1) of the Constitution, an MP or an MLA (or an MLC) is barred from holding any office of profit under the central or state government. We also look at whether a legislator’s privileges can be a ground to restrict a citizen’s fundamental right to expression guaranteed under Article 19 of the Constitution of India? And finally, we examine peculiar qualifications - from the number of children one has to defecate in the open - attached as qualifications to contest in panchayat elections - in quite a few states. </p><p><strong>Reading material:</strong> </p><p>On office of profit and the Jaya Bachchan case </p><ol><li data-list-indent="1" data-list-type="numbered"><p><u><a href="https://thewire.in/law/the-curious-case-of-no-profit-in-office-of-profit" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://thewire.in/law/the-curious-case-of-no-profit-in-office-of-profit</a></u></p></li></ol><p><strong>Madhavan, MR, (2016), “Legislature: composition, qualifications, and disqualification”, in Choudhry, Sujit (et al), <a href="https://oxcon.ouplaw.com/view/10.1093/law/9780198704898.001.0001/law-9780198704898" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">T</a></strong><em><strong><a href="https://oxcon.ouplaw.com/view/10.1093/law/9780198704898.001.0001/law-9780198704898" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">he Oxford Handbook of the Indian Constitution</a></strong></em><strong>, OUP: New Delhi. </strong></p><p>Qualifications to be a local representative </p><ol><li data-list-indent="1" data-list-type="numbered"><p><u><a href="https://lexforti.com/legal-news/persons-having-more-than-two-children-disqualified-as-c