Office of profit: Delhi HC transfers plea of AAP MLAs challenging disqualification to division bench

Delhi High Court on Monday referred plea of AAP MLAs challenging their disqualification, for holding office of profit, to a division bench of the high court comprising of two judges. The case was currently being heard by a single judge bench.

The high court also continued its interim order which asked Election Commission to not issue any notification for Delhi bypolls on the 20 assembly seats in Delhi.

The court had last week restrained the Election Commission from passing further orders regarding the issue, effectively ruling out bye-elections till the time it passes a final order in the case.

Justice Vibhu Bakhru, while hearing the pleas filed by 8 disqualified AAP MLAs, had said: "We will conduct the hearing on Monday and till then you (EC) will not issue any further orders regarding this issue. Do not precipitate the situation."

He also sought the response of the EC and the Centre in connection with the case.

Earlier this month, the EC recommended the disqualification of 20 AAP MLAs, who were appointed as Parliamentary Secretaries. President Ram Nath Kovind approved the EC recommendation and the Law Ministry issued a notification in this regard.

Eight of the disqualified MLAs filed three petitions challenging the poll panel's order. One petition was filed by AAP MLA Alka Lamba; another by Rajesh Rishi and Som Dutt; and the third one by MLAs Kailash Gehlot, Madan Lal, Sharad Kumar, Nitin Tyagi and Sarita Singh.

OneIndia News