HC Directs EC To File Reply On AAP MLA Disqualification

New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Tuesday asked the poll panel to file a detailed affidavit on the eight AAP MLAs plea challenging their disqualification for holding office of profit.

A division bench of Justice Sanjiv Khanna and Justice Chander Shekhar sought the response from the Election Commission and listed the matter for a February 7 hearing. The court also extended its interim order which restrained the EC from announcing by-polls for the vacated seats. The disqualified lawmakers had moved the High Court last week.

Their counsel has argued that the notification is a "gross violation of natural justice because the Election Commission decided the matter in undue haste and without affording and giving any opportunity of fair hearing to the petitioners". Following the poll panel's recommendation to President Ram Nath Kovind, the Law and Justice Ministry issued a notification that the President had "okayed" the disqualification of 20 Delhi AAP MLAs.

The disqualified MLAs are Alka Lamba, Adarsh Shastri, Sanjeev Jha, Rajesh Gupta, Kailash Gahlot, Vijendra Garg, Praveen Kumar, Sharad Kumar, Madan Lal Khufiya, Shiv Charan Goyal, Sarita Singh, Naresh Yadav, Rajesh Rishi, Anil Kumar, Som Dutt, Avtar Singh, Sukhvir Singh Dala, Manoj Kumar, Nitin Tyagi and Jarnail Singh.

IANS