Office of Profit: AAP MLAs withdraw plea challenging disqualification in Delhi HC

Earlier, the Delhi High Court had fixed the main petition for hearing on March 20.

All 20 AAP MLAs withdrew their applications seeking a stay on Election Commission of India (ECI) recommendations over their disqualification to the President of India in the Office of Profit matter as their applications have now become infructuous.

Justice Rekha Palli allowed the MLAs to withdraw their plea and termed it "dismissed as withdrawn". Advocate Manish Vashisht, appearing for one of the AAP MLAs, told the court that their application challenging the poll panel's recommendation to the President disqualifying them as legislators have become "infructuous" as a notification in this regard has already been issued on January 20.

The MLAs they would file a fresh plea after examining the notification for their disqualification, reports PTI.

Earlier, the Delhi High Court had fixed the main petition for hearing on March 20.

In a major setback to the AAP, President Ram Nath Kovind has disqualified 20 of its MLAs in Delhi for holding offices of profit, a decision the party said showed constitutional authorities were behaving like "handmaidens of the central government".

Kovind gave his assent on Monday to the recommendation by the Election Commission (EC).

The AAP had approached the Delhi High Court seeking a stay on EC's recommendation and the court has listed the case for a hearing.

The 20 MLAs disqualified include, Adarsh Shastri (Dwarka), Alka Lamba (Chandni Chowk), Anil Bajpai (Gandhi Nagar), Avtar Singh (Kalkaji), Kailash Gahlot (Najafgarh) -- who is also a minister -- Madan Lal (Kasturba Nagar), Manoj Kumar (Kondli), Naresh Yadav (Mehrauli), Nitin Tyagi (Laxmi Nagar), Praveen Kumar (Jangpura).

Others are: Rajesh Gupta (Wazirpur), Rajesh Rishi (Janakpuri), Sanjeev Jha (Burari), Sarita Singh (Rohtas Nagar), Som Dutt (Sadar Bazar), Sharad Kumar (Narela), Shiv Charan Goel (Moti Nagar), Sukhbir Singh (Mundka), Vijendar Garg (Rajinder Nagar) and Jarnail Singh (Tilak Nagar).

(With agency inputs)