Senior Aam Aadmi Party leader Kumar Vishwas said it was unfortunate that the Election Commission had decided to disqualify 20 Aam Aadmi Party MLAs. He also lashed out at Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal over the disqualification. Vishwas alleged that Kejriwal, as party convenor, dismissed his suggestions, and stressed on the fact that appointments to the party was the prerogative of the Chief Minister.
It’s very unfortunate and sad, the action against 20 AAP MLAs, I had given certain suggestions earlier, but I was told its the CM’s prerogative to appoint people so I kept quiet.Kumar Vishwas
The statement came after the Delhi High Court refused to pass any interim order to protect the 20 AAP MLAs listed for disqualification by the EC for holding office of profit.
In a statement sent to President Ram Nath Kovind on 19 January, the Election Commission said the 20 AAP MLAs, by occupying the post of parliamentary secretaries between 13 March 2015 and 8 September 2016, held office of profit, and were liable to be disqualified as legislators.
Once the President accepts the EC's opinion, the MLAs stand disqualified and by-elections will have to be held for the 20 Assembly seats.
The names listed for disqualification 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).
(With inputs from ANI)
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