New Delhi. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi will have to resign from one of the two seats he won in the recently held Lok Sabha elections within one to two weeks. Any candidate who wins from two seats has to vacate one seat within 14 days of the election results, former Lok Sabha secretary general and constitutional expert PDT Acharya said.

Even after the dissolution of the 17th Lok Sabha, Gandhi can send his resignation to the current Speaker Om Birla as he will remain in the post until a pro tem speaker is appointed for the 18th Lok Sabha.

The 17th Lok Sabha was dissolved on June 5

The 17th Lok Sabha was dissolved on June 5 after President Draupadi Murmu accepted the Union Cabinet's advice to dissolve the House to constitute a new Lok Sabha. Acharya said that in case of vacancies in the posts of Speaker and Deputy Speaker, members can send their resignations to the Election Commission.

In such a situation there is a danger of losing both seats

He said if a member does not resign from one of the two seats, he risks losing both. The Congress has 99 seats in the new Lok Sabha, including both Rahul Gandhi's Wayanad and Rae Bareli seats.

Election Commission demands the government to amend the laws

The Election Commission had asked the government to amend the laws to prevent people from contesting elections from two seats. The Commission had said that a provision should be made to deposit a suitable amount in the state treasury from the candidate vacating the seat necessitating a by-election.