AAP withdraws petition in HC on disqualification of 20 MLAs

New Delhi, Jan 22 (IANS) Aam Aadmi Partys (AAP) disqualified MLAs on Monday withdrew from the Delhi High Court their plea seeking a stay on the Election Commission’s recommendation to the President to disqualify 20 MLAs in an office of profit case.

Justice Rekha Palli said the plea moved by six AAP legislators had become infructuous as the President has already issued a circular to disqualify all 20 MLAs.

The court’s decision came after it was informed by the EC that it had already sent its opinion to President Ram Nath Kovind on January 19, before the MLAs had moved the court.

EC also informed the court that the President issued the notification on January 20.

The court said: "What remains with the writ now, the final order has been passed by the President. The plea is dismissed as withdrawn."

On Friday, the Election Commission recommended to the President for disqualification of the 20 AAP MLAs for holding office of profit as Parliamentary Secretaries.

Following the President’s approval, the Union Law and Justice Ministry had issued a notification saying that the President has held that the 20 members of the Delhi Legislative Assembly stand disqualified under 15 (1) (a) of the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (GNCTD) Act.

These 20 MLAs are Alka Lamba, Adarsh Shastri, Sanjeev Jha, Rajesh Gupta, Kailash Gehlot, 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.

The counsels appearing for the disqualified MLAs said they wanted to withdraw the plea and will examine the EC’s order.