India's Rahul Gandhi disqualified as lawmaker after conviction in defamation case

NEW DELHI, March 24 (Xinhua) -- The Indian parliament on Friday disqualified the former leader of the main opposition party Indian National Congress (INC) Rahul Gandhi as a lawmaker, a day after his conviction in a defamation case.

Gandhi's disqualification was issued by India's lower house (Lok Sabha), citing his conviction. The Lok Sabha secretariat also declared his constituency vacant and that the Election Commission of India can now announce a special election for the seat.

On Thursday, he was sentenced to two years in prison by a local court in the western Indian state of Gujarat for a 2019 campaign trail remark.

While he was not jailed immediately after the verdict, the 52-year-old politician was given bail for 30 days, during which he can file an appeal against his sentence.