Office for profit case: File affidavit on AAP MLAs’ plea, HC tells Election Commission

The Delhi High Court (Express Photo by Ravi Kanojia/Files)

The Delhi High Court on Tuesday asked the Election Commission of India (ECI) to file a detailed affidavit on the plea of eight AAP MLAs, who challenged their disqualification for holding offices of profit as Parliamentary Secretaries. A division bench of Justice Sanjiv Khanna and Justice Chander Shekhar sought a detailed response from the ECI on the AAP MLAs’ plea, and listed the matter for February 7.

The court also asked the ECI to state the factual aspects behind its decision to disqualify the 20 AAP MLAs. The Commission submitted that it wanted to respond to some of the allegations made in the MLAs’ pleas challenging their disqualification. The EC told the court that it would rely upon its opinion given to the President to disqualify the 20 AAP MLAs who were appointed as parliamentary secretaries. The court also extended its January 24 interim order, restraining the Election Commission from issuing any notification announcing by-polls to fill the vacancies of the 20 assembly seats whose legislators have been disqualified.