Become a Member Dark Mode Become a Member * Naukri Crisis * Uncovering Hate * Haryana Election * Manipur Conflict * Jammu and Kashmir Election * Climate Change * Members Only * WebQoof * My Report * More * Brand Studio * FIT * Gender * Opinion * Videos * Entertainment * Sports * World * Explainers * More * Podcasts * Politics * The Quint Lab * Graphic Novels * Law * Education * Members\' Opinion * South Asians * NEON Dark Mode Become a Member * Home * Naukri Crisis * Haryana Election * Uncovering Hate * About Us * T&C * Privacy Policy ## BECOME A MEMBER Created by potrace 1.16, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2019 FOLLOW US ON About UsContact UsPrivacy Policy ADVERTISEMENTREMOVE AD # Media Says Rahul Might Contest LS Polls From 3 Seats, But Can He? ## Well, he can’t. Why? Simply because the Indian law doesn’t permit it. The Quint Updated: 23 Jan 2019, 1:50 PM IST WebQoof 2 min read ![\\"story-hero- img\\"](\\" i Aa Aa Small Aa Medium Aa Large On 22 January, several media channels claimed that Congress President Rahul Gandhi was likely to contest the upcoming Lok Sabha elections from three seats – Nanded in Maharasthra, Chhindwara in Madhya Pradesh and his very own Amethi in Uttar Pradesh. The news was carried by channels like Times Now and Republic, garnering a lot of traction on social media. ![\\"Well,](\\"\\") ![\\"Well,](\\"\\") While news of the Gandhi scion mulling three constituencies is source-based, the question remains – can a candidate contest the Lok Sabha Polls from three constituencies? ADVERTISEMENTREMOVE AD We have seen candidates contest from two constituencies in the past – like PM Modi did in 2014 from both Varanasi and Vadodara – but three constituencies might be tad bit of a stretch. Why? Simply because the Indian law does not allow it. As pointed out by parliamentary affairs expert Meghnad on Twitter, Section 33(7) in the Representation of the People Act (RPA), 1951, permits a candidate to contest the general elections, or a group of bye-elections, from not more than two constituencies at a time. > The law says a person cannot contest from more than two constituencies. But > then, I\'m expecting too much of Times Now to actually think about the law > before reporting. Congress bashing + TRPs > Law of the Land. > > > — Meghnad (@Memeghnad) January 23, 2019 Several others also reiterated the provisions of Section 33(7) of RPA in response to Times Now and Republic’s stories. > Q 16. Can a person contest elections to Lok Sabha/Vidhan Sabha from as many > constituencies as he likes?Ans. NoAs per Section 33 (7) of R. P. Act, 1951, > a person cannot contest from more than two constituencies for a Lok > Sabha/Vidhan Sabha election. > > — Jeanette Rodrigues (@Darkwyr) July 27, 2018 > A candidate can contest only on 2 seats so there\'s no way Congress can be > mulling 3 seats for @RahulGandhi. Thoda control mey phaik liya karo. > #FakeNews > > — Aditya Menon (@AdityaMenon22) January 22, 2019 In fact, in April 2018, the Election Commission of India (ECI) also told the Supreme Court that should a candidate decide to contest from two seats simultaneously and win both seats, the expenditure for the bye-elections in the surrendered seat must be deposited to the government by the said candidate, reported Live Law. This is not the first time the ECI has taken such a stand on Section 33(7) of the RPA. In 2004, the ECI had submitted a set of 22 proposals on electoral reforms to the government, of which one referred to... > “... a restriction on number of seats from which one may contest and it was > proposed that the law be amended to provide that a person cannot contest > from more than one constituency at a time and if at all the existing law has > to be retained then there should be an express provision requiring a person > who contest and win the election from two seats resulting in a bye election > to deposit in the government account an appropriate amount of money being > the expenditure for holding the bye-election.” ECI (Not convinced of a story you came across on social media and want it verified? Send us the details on WhatsApp at 9910181818, and we\'ll fact-check it for you. You can also read all our fact-checked stories here.) (At The Quint, we question everything. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by **becoming a member** today.) ### Read Latest News and Breaking News at The Quint, browse for more from news and webqoof ### Topics: Webqoof Election 2019 Published: 23 Jan 2019, 11:08 AM IST Read Full Article Speaking truth to power requires allies like you. Become a Member Check Member Benefits Read More Loading Comments... ADVERTISEMENTREMOVE AD Stay Updated ADVERTISEMENTREMOVE AD × × SECTIONS * FIT * Gender * Opinion * Videos * Entertainment * Sports * World * Explainers * Podcasts * Politics * The Quint Lab * Graphic Novels * Law * Education * Members\' Opinion * South Asians * NEON TRENDING TOPICS * Anti-Cheating Law * Rasika Dugal Interview * Arundhati Roy * Euro 2024 * T20 World Cup * Kohli, Rohit & Jadeja Retire * Climate Change News * Electoral Bonds News * Rahul Gandhi * ‘Kill’ Review * PM Modi * Robert F Kennedy Jr * Rahul Dravid FOLLOW US ON Quint Hindi FIT About Us Contact Us Privacy Policy T&C Test Mode
Congress' Rahul Gandhi will contest on 3 seats in the 2019 Lok Sabha Elections