AAP MLAs disqualification: Delhi HC orders EC not to make by-poll announcement till Monday

NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court on Wednesday ordered the Election Commission of India to refrain from any announcement on by-polls on 20 constituencies in Delhi until next date of hearing on Monday. The court has also refused to pass any interim order on staying the Centre's notification disqualifying 20 Aam Aadmi Party MLAs for allegedly holding offices of profit.

20 AAP MLAs case: Delhi High Court asks Election Commission to not issue any notification for Delhi bypolls till next date of hearing on Monday

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Justice Vibhu Bakhru sought response of the poll panel, the Centre on AAP MLAs pleas challenging their disqualification. Earlier, the poll panel had recommended to President Ram Nath Kovind to disqualify 20 AAP legislators for allegedly holding offices of profit. Kovind has given his assent to the EC. The move paved the way for by-polls in Delhi for 20 constituencies of the 70-member assembly. AAP MLAs then moved the Delhi High Court against the Center's notification. Even after the disqualification of 20 MLAs, the ruling party will still have a comfortable majority in the Delhi Assembly. The 20 MLAs 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). The 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). The AAP had criticised the EC decision and even dubbed the poll panel as "khap panchayat" working at the behest of the ruling BJP. AAP Rajya Sabha MP-elect Sanjay Singh said that after June 23, 2017, the MLAs were not given a date of hearing. Singh said that in Punjab, Haryana, and other states when the High Court cancelled the appointment of Parliamentary Secretaries, the MLAs were not disqualified. Singh said the action against AAP was taken by the ex-Chief Election Commissioner A.K. Joti at the behest of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.