Friday’s appeal ‘infractuous’, AAP files fresh petition
took note of people’s grievances. “Most of those coming in are unable to understand that she is no longer an MLA,” said one of the volunteers.
When contacted, Lamba said there was little she could do now to carry out development work in her constituency. “I am pained not just from all that has happened, but also because people are coming to me and I am unable to help them. I no longer have NEW DELHI: The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Monday filed a fresh plea in the Delhi high court against the disqualification of its 20 MLAS.
The disqualified lawmakers withdrew their petition that was moved on Friday seeking a stay on the Election Commission’s (EC) recommendation to disqualify them for holding office of profit.
However, at least five MLAS, including Dwarka legislator Adarsh Shastri, filed fresh petitions on Monday.
“The Friday’s plea has been withdrawn as it became infructuous. A fresh petition will be filed by all disqualified MLAS. We have full faith in the courts and the notification will be stayed,” said Raghav Chadha, AAP spokesperson.
These 20 lawmakers, including Delhi’s transport minister Kailash Gahlot, were parliamentary secretaries in the Arvind Kejriwal government, a post that the EC said can be considered an office of profit.
“A few MLAS filed fresh writs on Monday. Not everyone (MLAS) is required to file it. I think the case will come up on Wednesday,” said Shastri.
Apart from Shastri, the disqualified MLAS are Alka Lamba, Sanjeev Jha, Rajesh Gupta, Kailash Gahlot, Vijendra Garg, Praveen Kumar, Sharad Kumar, Madan Lal, Shiv Charan Goyal, Sarita Singh, Naresh Yadav, Rajesh Rishi, Anil Kumar, Som Dutt, Avtar Singh, Sukhvir Singh, Manoj powers to use MLALAD funds. My hands are tied,” she said.
Tilak Nagar MLA Jarnail Singh was up early in the morning and met residents of his assembly as an “aam aadmi” (common man).
When asked what did that mean, Singh said, “I am still meeting public, though not in my MLA office, but in my personal office and at home.”
For Kasturba Nagar MLA Kumar and Nitin Tyagi.
Senior party leaders including chief minister Arvind Kejriwal and deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia termed the disqualification an “unconstitutional” move carried out at the behest of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to “harass” the ruling party of Delhi.
With a majority of 66 members in the 70-member Delhi assembly, the Arvind Kejriwal government will not be affected by the disqualification.
However, should the court decide to not quash or stay the decision, fresh bypolls will have to be held in the 20 assembly seats within six months from the day of notification on Sunday.
The issue was raised for the first time on March 13, 2015 when AAP government passed an order appointing 21 MLAS as parliamentary secretaries.
The move was challenged by a Delhi-based lawyer Prashant Patel who petitioned the then President Pranab Mukherjee in June 2015 alleging the secretaries came under ‘office of profit’ and this should be disqualified.
One of the MLAS Jarnail Singh of Rajouri Garden resigned to contest Punjab polls.
THE ISSUE WAS FIRST RAISED ON MARCH 13, 2015 WHEN AAP GOVT PASSED AN ORDER APPOINTING 21 MLAS AS PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARIES
Madan Lal, his day was packed with meetings to finalise his writ petition that he plans to move in the high court on Tuesday, challenging the President’s decision to disqualify him and 19 others.
“I am not going to give up. After three years of toil and working at the grassroots level, this cannot be our fate. If the high court does not give us relief, I will approach the Supreme Court,” said Lal.