<div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"><b style="font-size: 12.8px;">Election Commission has rejected a plea by Aam Aadmi Party MLAs to cross-examine a petitioner, who sought their disqualification on the charge of holding office-of-profit. </b></div>''<div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"><b><br />''</b></div>''<div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"><b>In its order, the poll panel said it does not find merit in AAP MLAs' plea to cross-examine petitioner Prashant Patel to prove that they were not holding any office-of-profit. An advocate, Patel had claimed that by being parliamentary secretaries, 21 AAP lawmakers held office of profit and are liable for being disqualified as MLAs of the Delhi assembly. One of the MLAs had later resigned.</b></div>''<div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></div>''<div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"><b>The Commission said, there is no occasion and need for cross-examination of the petitioner as he is not a witness in the present proceedings and the respondents have failed to make out a case for calling any witness as pleaded in their applications. </b></div>''<div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></div>''<div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"><b>Following a directive from Delhi High Court, Election Commission is hearing afresh the case related to disqualification of 20 AAP MLAs for allegedly holding office-of-profit by virtue of their appointment as parliamentary secretaries. </b></div>''<div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"><b><br />''</b></div>''<div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"><b>The EC had recommended the disqualification of the 20 AAP MLAs on January 19th. President Ram Nath Kovind had accepted the poll panel's opinion. The EC's move was quashed by the Delhi High Court.</b></div>''<div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"><span style="white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></div>''<div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"><b>The Delhi AAP lawmakers had moved the plea on May 16th for cross-examination of Patel, and officials of the assembly and city government to prove that they were not holding any office-of-profit by being appointed as parliamentary secretaries.</b></div>