High Court gives temporary relief to disqualified AAP MLAs

In a major relief to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), the High Court on Friday set aside the Election Commission recommendation disqualifying 20 ruling party MLAs in an office-of-profit case. AAP has 66 of 70 MLAs in the Delhi assembly.

The court asked the Election Commission to hear the case afresh because the MLAs were not given proper hearing before the poll panel decided on their disqualification. The case was now referred back to the Election Commission for reconsideration.

The MLAs were disqualified for holding office-of-profit when they were appointed Parliamentary Secretaries.

Delhi Chief Minister and AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal called it “a victory of truth”. Party supporters who feel the MLAs were treated unjustly, celebrated on Twitter. Some commentators questioned the role of the Election Commission, particularly former CEC AK Joti, who signed this order on his last day on the job, before retirement.

However, the matter is not over as the Commission will now hear the case again.

With IANS inputs.