Rahul Gandhi facing jail and loss of parliamentary seat after Indian court rejects plea

Gandhi was convicted of defamation in March over a 2019 speech in which he linked Narendra Modi with two high profile criminals

Indian opposition leader Rahul Gandhi has been dealt a blow after a court rejected his plea for a stay on his recent defamation conviction, meaning he could now face jail and will lose his parliamentary seat as he appeals against the guilty verdict.

On Thursday, lawyers for Gandhi said a court in India's western state of Gujarat had rejected his petition seeking a stay of conviction. The rejection of the plea means Gandhi is disqualified from office and there will now be a by-election in his Kerala constituency.