Office-of-profit case: EC to hear AAP MLAs on May 17

Office-of-profit case: EC to hear AAP MLAs on May 17

What has happened?

Pursuant to a Delhi High Court order setting aside the disqualification of 20 Aam Aadmi Party MLAs last month, the Election Commission will on May 17 resume an “oral hearing” on office-of-profit allegations against them.

Notification quashed

• On March 23, the High Court had quashed the notification issued by President Ram Nath Kovind, on a recommendation from the EC, to disqualify the MLAs
• A Bench of Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Chander Shekhar referred the issue back to the EC, stating that the commission’s recommendation dated January 19 was vitiated because of the failure to give the legislators an oral hearing or opportunity to address their argument on merits