Amar seeks new cover in old verdict

NEW DELHI: A day after Mr Amar Singh found himself under fresh trouble after the Election Commission served him another notice in the office-of-profit case, the Samajwadi Party leader was a relaxed man, taking refuge behind a previous poll panel verdict in a similar case.

Referring to a precedence set by the Election Commission, Samajwadi Party circles were confident that Mr Singh would not fall prey to yet another “Congress-sponsored game plan to fix him up”.

The EC verdict in the UP Jal Nigam chairman case, they contended, was that a people’s representative could not be deemed an executive manager just because the body had over 25% government share and he could approve promotions and other functions.

To be deemed an executive manager and get disqualified on that ground, a person, SP leaders added, must be a CEO with full administrative and executive powers. The same arguments held true in Mr Singh’s case, they reasoned.

The poll panel had issued notices after receiving a reference from the Rashtrapati Bhawan following a petition from a UP-based advocate that Mr Singh should be disqualified from the Rajya Sabha under Section 10 of the RPA, which says that a person who is managing the affairs of a company in which the government has more than 25% shares should be disqualified.

Mr Singh, as chairman of the UP Development Council - which was fully owned by the state government - had managed the affairs of the council, the petitioner argued.