The purported recommendation by the Election Commission (EC) to the President to disqualify 20 Aam Aadmi Party MLAs for allegedly holding offices of profit, has created a political firestorm.
In its opinion sent to President Ram Nath Kovind on 19 January, the EC said that the MLAs, being parliamentary secretaries, held offices of profit and were liable to be disqualified as members of the Delhi Assembly.
Quoting highly-placed sources PTI reported that the President is bound to go by the recommendation of the EC.
While the Chief Election Commissioner AK Jyoti has not offered any comment on the issue, saying that the matter is sub judice, AAP approached the Delhi High Court against against the EC's recommendation.
Now, it is important to note that while the likely disqualification of the 20 MLAs will pave way for by-elections in the Delhi Assembly, it would not pose a threat to the Kejriwal-led government.
The party currently has 65 MLAs in the 70-member Delhi Assembly. So even after the disqualification, it would continue to hold 45 seats, which is well-above the majority mark of 35.
Reacting to Friday’s controversy, AAP leader Saurabh Bhardawaj lashed out at the EC in a press conference, saying that the body has not given the AAP MLAs an opportunity to put forth their side of the arguments.
Meanwhile, both the Congress and the BJP slammed AAP after the development. Congress leader Ajay Maken asked Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal to resign, asserting that he "doesn't have the moral right to stay on in his post".
The Delhi Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) welcomed the decision of the EC's purported recommendation.
BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra asked whether AAP still has the "the morality to stay in government in Delhi".
(With inputs from PTI)
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