India
The Election Commission is learnt to have recommended to the President the disqualification of 20 AAP MLAs for allegedly holding office of profit.
Updated : Jan 19, 2018, 05:44 PM IST
The Election Commission is learnt to have recommended to the President the disqualification of 20 AAP MLAs for allegedly holding office of profit.
In its opinion sent to President Ram Nath Kovind, the Election Commission said by being parliamentary secretaries, they held office of profit and were liable to be disqualified as MLAs of the Delhi Assembly, highly placed sources said.
Among the list are several prominent AAP leaders including Delhi cabinet minister Kailash Gahlot, who is also a close confidant of Arvind Kejriwal. The MLA from Najafgarh is the Transport Minister.
The other big names in the list are Chandni Chowk MLA Alka Lamba and Dwarka MLA Adarsh Shastri both of whom have been with Kejriwal since 2011 Indian Against Corruption movement. Laxmi Nagar MLA Nitin Tyagi who is close to Deputy CM Sisodia and prominent Poorvanchali leader Sanjeev Jha are also on the list.
Here’s the full list of MLAs who face disqualification:
1) Adarsh Shastri- Dwarka
2) Alka Lamba- Chandni Chowk
3) Anil Vajpayee- Gandhi Nagar
4) Avtar Singh- Kalkaji
5) Kailash Gehilot- Najafgarg
6) Madan Lal- Kasurba Nagar
7) Manoj Kumar- Kondli
8) Naresh Yadav- Mehrauli
9) Nitin Tyagi- Laxmi Nagar
10) Praveen Kumar- Jangpura
11) Rajesh Gupta- Wazirpur
12) Rajesh Rishi- Janakpuri
13) Sanjeev Jha- Burari
14) Sarita Singh- Rohtas Nagar
15) Som Dutt- Sadar Bazar
16) Sharad Kumar- Narela
17) Shiv Charan Goel- Moti Nagar
18) Sukhbir Singh- Mundka
19) Vijendar Garg- Rajinder Nagar
20) Jarnail Singh – Tilak Nagar
The President is bound to go by the recommendation of the Commission. 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 present case, the petition was made to disqualify 21 MLAs, but one had resigned a few months back There, however, was no official word from the Commission.
When contacted, Chief Election Commissioner A K Joti said since the matter is sub judice, he would not offer any comment on the issue.