AAP cries conspiracy as Election Commission recommends disqualification of its 20 MLAs in office of profit case

AAP MLA Saurabh Bharadwaj

New Delhi: Aam Aadmi Party on Friday accused the Election Commission of brassiness and conspiracy after the latter recommended disqualification of 20 of Kejriwal’s MLAs on grounds of holding office of profit as Parliamentary Secretaries. Addressing reporters on the major setback, AAP MLA said “the reporting of EC disqualifying 20 AAP MLAs for holding 'office of profit' is only through the sources.” He said the MLAs have not got a chance to put forward their point. "The people of the constituencies of these 20 MLAs should be asked if they have ever seen travelling in government vehicles or residing in bungalows.” The Election Commission's recommendation to the President came on a complaint by the Congress filed in June 2016 seeking disqualification of the MLAs. Under the Constitution, the President is bound to act in accordance with the poll panel's recommendation. Now all eyes are set on President Ram Nath Kovind's decision. AAP has moved High Court against Election Commission's recommendation. Even if 20 MLAs are disqualified, the ruling party will still have a comfortable majority in the Delhi Assembly. But elections will then be called for those particular seats. The MLAs whose fate hangs in balance are Alka Lamba, Adarsh Shastri, Sanjeev Jha, Rajesh Gupta, Kailash Gehlot, Vijendra Garg, Praveen Kumar, Sharad Kumar, Madan Lal Khufiya, Shiv Charan Goyal, Sarita Singh, Naresh Yadav, Rajesh Rishi, Anil Kumar, Som Dutt, Avtar Singh, Sukhvir Singh Dala, Manoj Kumar, Nitin Tyagi and Jarnail Singh (Tilak Nagar).