The Rajasthan Assembly on Friday terminated BJP MLA Kanwar Lal Meena’s membership after he was convicted and sentenced to three years in jail for pointing a pistol at a Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) around two decades ago.

According to a notification issued by the Assembly Secretariat, Meena’s membership stands terminated effective from May 1.

Meena’s disqualification came after he approached the Supreme Court in the matter of pointing a gun at a SDM around 20 years ago. The court asked him to surrender after dismissing his plea.

The BJP MLA surrendered before the Aklera court on May 21 and is currently lodged in jail.

On December 14, 2020, a court in Aklera sentenced Meena to three years of imprisonment in the 20-year-old case, finding him guilty of obstructing government work, intimidating government officials and vandalising property.

The assembly secretariat had earlier served a notice to Meena, asking him to respond by May 7 regarding any relief obtained from the Supreme Court. With no pause granted on his conviction, the secretariat proceeded with the disqualification.

The Election Commission has been informed of the vacancy following Meena’s disqualification. Now, a by-election on the Anta seat should be held within six months, potentially before October 2025.

Earlier this month, the Congress had accused the Assembly Speaker of partisanship and announced that it will launch protest if Meena was not disqualified from House.

“Rahul Gandhi’s parliamentary membership was taken away within 24 hours of his conviction (in the Modi surname case), but the same was not done in the case of Kanwar Lal Meena,” Congress MLA Rafeeq Khan had said earlier.

In the 200-seat Rajasthan Assembly, the BJP has 118 MLAs and the Congress has 66 legislators.

(with inputs from PTI)