EC lists ministers with office of profit

New Delhi: The Election Commission of India has posted names of several Union ministers and Members of Parliament, who are holding offices of profit, on its website on the basis of a Presidential reference.

The list has some new names apart from those that came to fore at the peak of the office-of-profit controversy.

The list also feature several Union ministers, including Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee, Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar, Meira Kumar, Najma Heptullah and industrialist Naveen Jindal.

The list also includes the name of Speaker Somnath Chaterjee, MPs Ajit Singh, Anuradha Choudhary, Ram Kripal Yadav, Sajjan Kumar, T Subbarami Reddy, VK Malhotra and Amar Singh .

The Election Commission said it is yet to take a decision on these.

The poll panel has also listed Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan in the office of profit bracket.

Meanwhile, actress-turned politician Jaya Bachchan on Tuesday moved the Supreme Court challenging her disqualification as Rajya Sabha MP by the President on the recommendation of the Election Commission for holding the office of profit.

The Samajwadi Party leader has sought declaring as 'null and void' the President's order and EC's opinion recommending her disqualification as member of the Rajya Sabha contending that she never made actual pecuniary gains from the alleged office of profit as Chairperson of the Uttar Pradesh Film Development Corporation (UPFDC).

"There is no finding in the opinion of the EC dated March 2 nor on the order of the President dated March 16 that I made actual pecuniary gains from the alleged office of profit as Chairperson of UPFDC," Jaya Bachchan said in the petition.

She also accused Congress leader Madan Mohan, who had challenged her election to the Rajya Sabha before the EC, of concealing the fact that his election petition against her was pending before the Allahabad High Court.

In the petition, the SP leader said the cases decided by the apex court under Article 102(1)(a) and Article 191(1)(a) of the Constitution has held that even where a post or office carries remuneration or pay, in the absence of proof of any actual pecuniary gain to the holder from that office, the holder cannot be said to be holding 'an office of profit'.

Jaya Bachchan was disqualified as a member of Rajya Sabha on March 16. Her disqualification was with retrospective effect from July 14, 2004, 10 days after her election on July 4, 2004, when she was appointed to the Film Council post.