Deputy Chief Minister and senior AAP leader Manish Sisodia on Saturday said the party will meet President Ram Nath Kovind against a recommendation of the Election Commission (EC) to disqualify 20 party MLAs for holding office of profit.
On Friday, the EC recommended to the President to disqualify 20 Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLAs for holding office of profit as Parliamentary Secretaries, triggering calls for the resignation of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.
However, the President does not enjoy much of discretion in such matters and it is almost sure that he would go by the poll panel’s recommendation.
Addressing media persons on Saturday, Sisodia said the Commission’s decision to disqualify the MLAs without giving them a hearing was “unconstitutional” and they were asking for an appointment with the President to present their case before him.
“We will appeal to the President to ask the Election Commission to review all proofs that the MLAs have and give them a hearing,” Sisodia said and added that the MLAs would also inform the President about the “EC’s biased opinion”.
“The principle of natural justice was not followed in the process,” the Deputy Chief Minister said.
A party volunteer told IANS that Sisodia’s comments came after a meeting of the 20 MLAs with Kejriwal