No role in plea against disqualification of ex-AAP MLAs Bajpai and Sehrawat by speaker: EC to HC

The Election Commission (EC) on Wednesday told the Delhi High Court that the poll panel has no role to play in the matter pertaining to disqualification of former AAP MLAs Anil Bajpai and Devender Sehrawat.

The EC has said it had no role to play in the petitions moved by Bajpai and Sehrawat challenging their disqualification by Delhi Assembly Speaker Ram Niwas Goel as it was a constitutional body whose function was to conduct free and fair elections.

The submission by the poll panel was made on an affidavit placed before Justice Navin Chawla who had on September 30 sought the EC's reply to the petitions of the two disqualified MLAs.

The ex-AAP MLAs have challenged in the high court their disqualification under the anti-defection law.

The court had earlier dismissed their pleas seeking recusal of the legislative assembly speaker from the disqualification proceedings against them, saying it finds no reason to entertain them.

The two had alleged that the speaker was not supposed to have political inclinations, but he was seen attending events and protests of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).

AAP MLA Saurabh Bharadwaj on June 10 moved a petition in the Delhi Assembly and sought disqualification of its two rebel MLAs -- Anil Bajpai from Gandhi Nagar and Devinder Sehrawat from Bijwasan seat -- who had been openly critical of the party and had joined the BJP on May 3 and May 6 respectively.

The speaker had on June 17 issued notice to the two MLAs asking them to file their response by July 8.