Ten advocates from Varanasi have filed a writ petition in the Supreme Court challenging Congress president Sonia Gandhi's [Images] byelection as member of the Lok Sabha from Rae Bareli.

• Office of Profit Issue

The petitioners, represented by Santosh Kumar Srivastava, have challenged her election under Article 102 (1) (d) of the Indian Constitution, according to which a person shall be disqualified for being chosen as, and for being a member of either House of Parliiament if he or she is under any acknowledgement of allegiance or adherence to a foreign state.

According to the petitioners, in an affidavit filed by Sonia, she had disclosed that she has an ancestral house worth Rs 13 lakh in Italy [Images].

This amounts to admission on her part that she owes allegiance or adherence to that country, they added.

The petitioners have sought direction from the apex court to set aside her election as a member of Parliament.

Byelection to the constituency on May 8 was necessiated following Sonia's resignation due to the office-of-profit controversy as she was holding the twin posts of chairperson of the National Advisory Council and was also a member of the Lower House.