A bench of justices Sanjiv Khanna and Chander Shekhar quashed the Centre's notification disqualifying the AAP MLAs, saying the the EC's recommendation against the legislators was "bad in law" and "vitiated".
He said that the AAP MLAs were issued two notices by the EC but their response was not in the context of the notice served on them.
Opposition parties in Punjab are criticising Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann for refusing to order a CBI investigation into the suicide of a warehousing corporation official, alleging a cover-up to protect a former minister.
His remarks comes after AAP's national convenor Arvind Kejriwal held a meeting with CM Mann, Punjab ministers and MLAs at Kapurthala House in Delhi on Tuesday amid rumours of dissent in the party's Punjab unit.
The Bharatiya Janata Party on Thursday claimed that the Aam Aadmi Party leaders' visit to Raj Ghat was part of their theatrics to divert people's attention from the controversy surrounding the liquor policy and said its workers will sprinkle 'Ganga Jal' on Mahatma Gandhi's memorial to 'purify' it.
Pathanmajra appeared in the video interview on Friday with an Australia-based Punjabi web channel in which he claimed that he would "return home only after securing bail".
Among the 21 MLAs who have been appointed parliamentary secretaries for the "smooth functioning of the government" are Adarsh Shastri, Jarnail Singh and Alka Lamba.
Petitions have been filed with the President seeking disqualification of these MLAs on the ground that they occupied office of profit in violation of Constitution.
The incident took place on Monday night in the presence of Kejriwal, a senior official alleged.
"They tried to buy our MLAs in Delhi and now in Punjab but we exposed them (BJP)," Kejriwal said.
At the meeting scheduled at 11.30 am, the MLAs will choose the AAP's Legislature Party leader, Rai told PTI on Tuesday. Another AAP leader said the party was considering two dates for the chief minister's oath-taking ceremony -- February 14 and 16.
Sisodia said although the AAP MLAs were detained, he and his party colleagues were 'ready to go to Tihar Jail'.
The President is bound by the recommendation of the Commission.
The Aam Aadmi Party on Monday hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the arrest of its two MLAs, saying this is a "proof" of his frustration.
The AAP alleged that 40 of its Delhi MLAs were targeted by the Bharatiya Janata Party with an offer of Rs 20 crore each to switch sides, even as all the 62 of its legislators were accounted for during a meeting at Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's residence.
Punjab ministers Lal Chand Kataruchak and Laljit Singh Bhullar met the family of ASI Gurnam Singh, who was killed in Gurdaspur, to offer condolences and assure support. The ministers condemned the act and vowed strict punishment for the perpetrators, while also addressing concerns about the death of one of the accused and criticizing opposition parties.
Thirty-one of the 70 candidates elected to the eighth Delhi Assembly have declared criminal cases against their names, according to poll rights body ADR. The figure is lower than the 43 MLAs in the seventh assembly who had declared criminal cases. The Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) and Delhi Election Watch, which analysed the affidavits submitted by all 699 candidates who contested the assembly elections, said the number of winning candidates with serious criminal cases remained a concern. The analysis found that 17 newly-elected candidates were facing serious criminal cases, including those related to attempted murder and crimes against women. The analysis also highlighted the growth in assets of re-elected MLAs. The 22 candidates re-elected to the House saw their average assets rise 25 per cent from Rs 7.04 crore in 2020 to Rs 8.83 crore in 2025.
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has dismissed speculation about dissent within the Aam Aadmi Party's state unit, asserting that Congress leaders have a history of switching parties while AAP leaders remain dedicated. Mann's remarks came after Punjab Congress leader Partap Singh Bajwa claimed that over 30 AAP MLAs were in touch with his party. Mann, however, dismissed Bajwa's claims, stating that Congress has a culture of switching sides. The meeting follows AAP's defeat in the Delhi Assembly elections, sparking speculation about instability in its Punjab unit. Mann reiterated the unity within AAP, highlighting his government's achievements, including closing 17 toll plazas, stopping multiple pensions for MLAs, and implementing the Delhi model in Punjab. On the promise of financial assistance of Rs 1,000 to women, he said it will be provided in the coming days. Meanwhile, the BJP has also intensified its attack on the AAP, with BJP leader Manjinder Singh Sirsa taking a dig at Kejriwal for holding a meeting with Punjab MLAs despite AAP's defeat in Delhi.
The AAP and BJP have engaged in a war of words over Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta's Karwa Chauth celebration, with the AAP mocking the event and the BJP accusing them of being "enemies of Sanatan Dharma."
The petition for their disqualification was made over their appointment as parliamentary secretaries, by lawyer Prashant Patel.
Pathanmajra, a first-time MLA, escaped from custody after a police team went to arrest him in Dabri village in Haryana's Karnal district, where he was at the residence of one of his relatives.
Aam Aadmi Party MLA Harmeet Singh Pathanmajra on Tuesday allegedly escaped the police out to arrest him in a rape case
The Aam Aadmi Party claimed on Wednesday that the Bharatiya Janata Party has approached four of its legislators in Delhi, asking them to switch sides and join the saffron party or else, face 'false cases, the CBI (Central Bureau of Investigation) and the ED (Enforcement Directorate)'.
The Election Commission has issued notices to 21 Aam Aadmi Party MLAs.
Aam Aadmi Party legislators on Monday unanimously elected Arvind Kejriwal as their leader in the Delhi assembly.
The Aam Aadmi Party has alleged misappropriation of over Rs 2,400 crore in the North Delhi and South Delhi municipal corporations, and had announced to stage protests outside the residences of Shah and Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal from Sunday till the probe is ordered.
Punjab AAP MLA Harmeet Singh Pathanmajra, wanted in a rape case, denies firing at police and claims a conspiracy by a 'Delhi lobby' within the party.
Kejriwal's unexpected announcement kicked up a strong buzz over the names of his wife Sunita and his ministers Atishi and Gopal Rai as his possible replacement.
Kejriwal claimed that the BJP has ruined Gujarat in its 30-year rule. The Congress has failed as an opposition because it helps the BJP retain power, he said.
Former Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the Delhi Assembly, Vijender Gupta, has been chosen as the new Speaker of the Vidhan Sabha. Gupta, a BJP MLA from Rohini, vowed to immediately table 14 CAG reports allegedly withheld by the previous Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government upon taking charge. His election is a foregone conclusion due to the BJP's majority in the Assembly.
Gupta sought to draw the top city bureaucrat's attention to the procedure and protocol to be adhered to by the government officers while dealing with the members of the assembly.
Hours after the AAP announced its night-long sit-in against the Lieutenant Governor, BJP MLAs also started an overnight dharna on the assembly premises demanding the sacking of ministers Manish Sisodia and Satyendar Jain over alleged corruption.
Singh's suspension came days after he questioned the manner in which a vigilance bureau team raided the residence of Shiromani Akali Dal leader Bikram Singh Majithia in Amritsar in a disproportionate assets case.
AAP claimed that Jarwal was arrested based on a "frivolous" complaint.
'The BJP will win comfortably if the Congress and AAP fight separately -- though not with 162 seats.' 'But if they form an alliance, it will become a major problem for the BJP. That's precisely why this expansion is happening now.'
Asserting the AAP MLAs will not leave the party, Jha escalating his attack on the BJP said that Operation Lotus has begun again.
The ruling Aam Aadmi Party in Punjab on Wednesday filed a complaint with the state director general of police, seeking a thorough probe into allegations of an attempt by the Bharatiya Janata Party to topple its government.
Atishi, former Delhi chief minister and MLA from Kalkaji constituency, was chosen as the Leader of Opposition in the Delhi Assembly at a meeting of AAP MLAs on Sunday. AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal was also present at the meeting. Atishi, who was proposed by MLA Sanjeev Jha, thanked Kejriwal and the MLAs for their support. She promised to play a strong opposition role in the House, raise issues with full force, and ensure the BJP fulfils its promises. The first session of the Delhi Assembly will begin on February 24, with the BJP government planning to table pending CAG reports against the performance of the previous AAP government.
Punjab Police and Chandigarh Police got into a minor scuffle on Tuesday over the custody of a Rajasthan native who is accused of filing his Rajya Sabha polls nomination with forged signatures.
Aam Aadmi Party supremo Arvind Kejriwal will soon vacate the official residence of Delhi chief minister in Civil Lines area of the city, with an intensive search on to look for a new house near his New Delhi constituency, the party said on Saturday.
© 2026 Rediff.com - Advertise with us - Disclaimer - Privacy Policy - Sitemap - Feedback - About us - Terms of use - Grievances