The Election Commission told the Delhi High Court on Tuesday that pleas of 20 Aam Aadmi Party MLAs against their disqualification in an office-of-profit case are liable to be dismissed as they have challenged the poll panel’s opinion, which has become non-existent after the President’s decision.
Office-of-profit case
The EC’s counsel Amit Sharma said the disqualified MLAs have not challenged the January 20 Presidential order by which the EC’s recommendations were accepted.
The EC was replying to arguments made by the disqualified MLAs, found guilty of holding office-of-profit as parliamentary secretaries to Ministers in the AAP government after it came to power in 2015.
The MLAs had approached the HC challenging their disqualification after President Ram Nath Kovind gave his approval to the EC’s recommendation.
To resume today
The arguments on behalf of the EC, which remained inconclusive, will resume on Wednesday.
The 20 legislators have concluded their submission, seeking setting aside of the EC opinion and the Centre’s notification disqualifying them as Assembly legislators.
The MLAs had claimed that they were held guilty of holding office of profit by the EC without giving them an opportunity to explain their stand.
They had also contended that the poll panel had sent its opinion to the President by “flouting the principles of natural justice”.
The EC had recommended the disqualification of 20 AAP MLAs on January 19.
