AAP MLAs’ disqualification: Delhi HC restrains EC from announcing by-polls

New Delhi, Jan 24 : The Delhi High Court on Wednesday restrained the Election Commission from announcing any by-polls till Monday in the wake of the disqualification of 20 AAP MLAs for holding office of profit as Parliamentary Secretaries.

Justice Vibhu Bakhru asked the Election Commission to file response to the AAP MLAs’ plea challenging a notification disqualifying them.

The court, however, refused to stay the notification and listed the matter for further hearing on Monday.

Eight AAP MLAs on Tuesday moved the Delhi High Court challenging a notification disqualifying them on the ground of holding office of profit as Parliamentary Secretaries.

Following an Election Commission recommendation to President Ram Nath Kovind, on Saturday the Law and Justice Ministry issued a notification that the President had okayed the disqualification of the 20 MLAs.

The 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