Hearing in 20 AAP MLAs case starts today
The court had termed the recommendation as vitiated and bad in law and directed the commission to hear the issue afresh.
New Delhi: The Election Commission will resume the hearing in the case of 20 Aam Aadmi Party MLAs on Thursday after the Delhi high court set aside their disqualification for allegedly holding office-of-profit.
The commission had last month directed the 20 Delhi legislators to appear in person or through their legal representatives at 3.00 pm on May 17 for “oral hearing”.
The poll panel’s decision to resume hearing came after the high court March 23 order.
The court had termed the recommendation as “vitiated” and “bad in law” and directed the commission to hear the issue afresh.
“The oral hearing will be on the merits of the case,” a senior commission official explained.
The high court had said with the poll body’s opinion and the subsequent notification being set aside, the proceedings before the commission would continue from the stage the error and lapse occurred.
The legislators, who were appointed parliamentary secretaries, had challenged their disqualification on the ground of holding office-of-profit.
The MLAs had alleged that the commission had not given a hearing to their pleas since March last year. The poll panel had maintained that two opportunities were given to file written submissions. They were accused of holding office-of-profit as they were appointed parliamentary secretaries to ministers in the Delhi government in March 2015.