New Delhi: Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) got a major blow after the Election Commission on Friday recommended that 20 of its MLAs be disqualified for holding ‘office of profit’. The EC has sent its recommendation to the President for his assent, which he’s fully expected to give. In cases where petitions are made seeking disqualification of lawmakers, the President sends a reference to the EC which decides on the case by sending back its opinion.
In the current scenario, the petition was directed at 21 MLAs, but one had resigned. The disqualification of the legislators is expected to pave the way for byelections in Delhi.
The controversy over the “office of profit” started soon after the party’s victory in the 2015 Assembly elections in Delhi. A petition filed by lawyer Prashant Patel sought the disqualification of the MLAs on the grounds that they were holding an ‘office of profit’ as parliamentary secretaries.