20. (1) A person shall be disqualified for being chosen as, and for being, a member of either Chamber-
(a) if he holds any office in the civil or military service of His Highness the Maharaja, other than an office declared by rules made under this Act not to disqualify its holder;
(b) if he is of unsound mind;
(c) if he is an undischarged insolvent;
(d) If, whether before or after the passing of this Act, he has been convicted, or has, in proceedings for questioning the validity or regularity of an election, been found to been guilty, if any offence or corrupt or illegal practice relating to elections which has been declared by any Act or by rules made under this Act to be an offence or practice entailing disqualification for membership of either Chamber, unless such period has elapsed as may be specified in that behalf by the provisions of that Act or rule;
(e) if, whether before or after the passing of this Act, he has been convicted of any other offence and sentenced to imprisonment for not less than six months by a court in Mysore or elsewhere, unless a period of five years, or such less period as the Government may allow in any particular case, has elapsed since his release;
(f) if he has been dismissed from the civil or military service of His Highness the Maharaja, unless five years have elapsed from the date of dismissal or the Government has removed the disqualification;
(g) if, having been a legal practitioner, he has been debarred or is under suspension from practising as such by order of a competent court, the disqualification in the latter case being operative during the period of such suspension or the term of the Chamber, whichever is longer;
(h) if, having stood as a candidate for election for either Chamber or having acted as an election agent of any person who has so stood, he has failed to lodge a return of election expenses within the time and in the manner required by any Act or rule made under this Act, unless five years have elapsed from the date by which the return ought to have been lodged, or the Government has removed the disqualification :
Provided that a disqualification under paragraph (h) of this sub-section shall not take effect until the expiration of one month from the date by which the return ought to have been lodged or of such longer period as the Government may in any particular case allow.
(2) A person shall not be capable of being chosen a member of either Chamber while he is serving a sentence of transportation or of imprisonment for a. criminal offence.
(3) Where a person who, by virtue of a conviction, or a conviction and a sentence, becomes disqualified by virtue of paragraph (d) or paragraph (e) of sub-section (1) of this section is at the date of the disqualification a member of either Chamber, his seat shall, notwithstanding anything in this or the last preceding section, not become vacant by reason of the disqualification until three months have elapsed from the date thereof or, if within those three months an appeal or petition for revision is brought in respect of the conviction or the sentence, until that appeal or petition is disposed of, but during any period during which his membership is preserved by this sub-section he shall not sit or vote.
(4) The disqualification mentioned in clause (a) of sub-section (1) of this section shall not be applicable to ministers and to such officers as may be nominated to the Legislative Council by the Government.