Monday, December 26 2005 19:14 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: The Election Commission is ready to hold by-polls soon for the vacancies caused by the expulsion of ten Lok Sabha MPs after they were caught on-camera in the cash-for-query scam and waiting for the finalisation of the ongoing exercise of electoral rolls.

"We are free to hold bye-elections. In most of the States, the revision of electoral rolls is going on and the final publication is likely next month. After the revision is over, the Commission may take a decision on conducting the bye-elections," EC sources said.

This is, perhaps for the first time, the EC would be conducting so many by-polls for the Lok Sabha, the sources said.

After the MPs were expelled by the Lok Sabha on Friday last, the Lok Sabha Secretariat had issued a notification soon after and had intimated the EC on that day itself about the action against the ten members.

"On Friday itself the notification has been issued and a copy sent to the Election Commission. Government of India has also been informed so as to issue a gazette notification. Effectively the seats have fallen vacant," Lok Sabha Secretariat sources said.

Consequent on the adoption of a Motion by the Lok Sabha expelling them, the ten ceased to be members of the Lok Sabha with effect from December 23, the Lok Sabha notification said.

The Lok Sabha inquiry Committee had ruled that the continuance of the ten members had become 'untenable' in view of their conduct 'unbecoming' of Member of Parliament and recommended their expulsion from the House.

The 10 members are Narendra Kumar Kushwaha (BSP), Annasaheb M K Patil (BJP), Manoj Kumar (RJD), Y G Mahajan (BJP), Pradeep Gandhi (BJP), Suresh Chandel (BJP), Ramsevak Singh (Cong), Lal Chandra Kol (BSP), Rajaram Pal (BSP) and Chandra Pratap Singh (BJP).