EC to take call on Andhra MP’s Office-of-Profit Case

NEW DELHI: Within days of the Jagan Reddy government moving an ordinance to protect its MP V Vijaysai Reddy from the ‘office of profit’ rulebook — after his appointment as special representative of the state — the controversy has reached Rashtrapati Bhavan and stands referred to the Election Commission.

The issue, which was earlier pending with the Parliament’s Joint Committee on Office of Profit, will now be deliberated over by the EC following the presidential reference, ET has gathered.

Rajya Sabha MP V Reddy is considered a confidant of Andhra Pradesh chief minister Jagan Reddy. Reddy said he had himself requested President Kovind’s intervention on the matter.


“I did write to President Kovind on the matter seeking a Presidential reference to the EC to determine whether or not taking charge as a special representative of the statein an honorary position amounts to an office of profit or not. I have been informed by Rashtrapati Bhavan that a presidential reference has been made to the ECI on the same and their response is awaited,” Reddy confirmed to ET.

Reddy said that he has not taken charge as the SR even though the appointment was backed with an ordinance in July.

“I think it is best to take charge when there is a go-ahead from the EC. While the issue was before the Joint committee of the Parliament, I sought that it not be pursued further at the committee level as the matter has already been referred to the EC which is the competent authority to weigh in on it properly,” Reddy added.

Reddy was appointed as Andhra Pradesh’s special representative in Delhi on June 22. He almost immediately ran into controversy over this being an ‘office of profit’.

The appointment was therefore cancelled on July 4. It was, however, revived soon after with the state government issuing an ordinance on July 6 to add the 'Office of the special representative' of the state to the schedule of the AP Payment of Salaries and Pension and Removal of Disqualification Act, 1953.

Even that did not settle the issue conclusively and the matter was referred recently to the newly constituted Joint Committee of Parliament on Office of Profit.

Reddy incidentally is one of the 15 members of the newly constituted committee.

Office of Profit itself has been a grey area. While there is clear definition of the same in law, it is interpreted to refer to any office or position that brings financial benefit or advantage to the office holder.

The Centre and states, however, can and have brought in legislation to exempt certain offices from the purview of the Office of Profit.