NEW DELHI, 26 March 2006 — In the midst of the controversy over members of Parliament holding office-of-profit, noted industrialist Anil Ambani yesterday quit his Rajya Sabha (RS) seat and decided not contest again for the upper house.
“It is my firm view that, in public life, one must uphold the highest standards of transparency, propriety and ethics, and avoid any possibility of controversy, however remote or unlikely. Keeping this in mind, I have decided to tender my resignation from the Rajya Sabha with immediate effect,” Anil said.
Anil was elected to the upper house in June 2004 as an independent candidate with the support of Samajwadi Party.
Anil, however, clarified that there had been “no suggestion” that there was any issue in his continuing to be a member of the Uttar Pradesh Development Council. When asked if Anil would contest again for Rajya Sabha, sources in his group said “he would not contest.”
The constitution prohibits MPs from holding another office of profit, and the issue has come into sharp focus in the past month, with some 60 lawmakers facing scrutiny.
Ruling Congress party President Sonia Gandhi Thursday resigned from her lower house seat after the opposition charged she had wrongfully held another salaried public post. She also quit as chairwoman of the National Advisory Council (NAC), set up to implement her government’s electoral pledges.
Right-wing opponents had charged that Sonia was breaking regulations by holding both posts and that the Congress adjourned Parliament so it could push through a Cabinet ordinance to save her.
Several other elected politicians who hold secondary posts have resigned as well, while some have insisted that the law on the issue needs to be re-examined.
A junior minister in Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s government, a Congress MP and 25 party legislators from Madhya Pradesh yesterday offered to quit their seats in solidarity with Sonia.
Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office Suresh Pachouri, Jyotindra Scindia and the legislators met Sonia at her residence and offered to put in their papers but were advised not to do so, sources said.
Pachouri represents Madhya Pradesh in the Rajya Sabha while Scindia was elected to the Lok Sabha from the Guna constituency.
Meanwhile, thousands of emotive supporters rallied for the third day yesterday outside Soina’s residence here. Sonia has already advised her supporters to exercise restraint, saying there was no need for Congress MPs or legislators to follow her example.
A total of 41 MPs of different parties have been accused of holding offices of profit.
