NEW DELHI: In a setback to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), the Election Commission (EC) has ruled that it would continue to hear a plea against 21 of its MLAs for allegedly holding offices of profit, despite the high court setting aside their appointments as parliamentary secretaries.
While the AAP had contended that the case against its legislators should be dropped after the Delhi High Court ruling, the poll watchdog observed, in its order yesterday, that the argument “holds no water”.
The office of profit petition was filed by one Prashant Patel against 21 MLAs of the Arvind Kejriwal-led party. Subsequently, the proceedings were dropped against Jarnail Singh after he resigned as the Rajouri Garden MLA to contest the Punjab Assembly polls.
The EC order stated that the commission was of the “considered opinion” that the MLAs were “de facto” parliamentary secretaries from March 13, 2015 to September 8, 2016. (AGENCIES)
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