The Delhi Assembly on Friday disqualified Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) rebel MLA Kapil Mishra from the House under the ‘Anti-Defection’ law, on the 10th Schedule of the Constitution. He was disqualified from the Delhi Assembly after a petition was moved by the AAP under anti-defection’ alleging that Mishra had campaigned for PM Narendra Modi in the national polls 2019.
Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in the petition had claimed that Mishra, by seeking votes for Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the national polls, had ‘voluntarily giving up the membership of the AAP’.
Former Aam Aadmi Party leader, once a close aide of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, turned rebel after he was removed from the Cabinet in 2017.
Mishra had, in 2015 Delhi polls, defeated Mohan Singh Bisht of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) with over 44,000 votes.
In the meantime, the party has already found a replacement for Kapil Mishra for Karawal Nagar Assembly. If reports to be believed, the party is likely to pitch Durgesh Pathak from the assembly in the Delhi polls slated for next year.
Pathak, an IAS aspirant, joined the party since its inception and was an active participant in Anna Movement. Pathak also played a crucial role in Punjab Campaign.
Aam Aadmi Party had earlier filed a petition before the Delhi Assembly Speaker Ram Niwas Goel seeking disqualification of two rebel MLAs – Devendra Sehrawat and Anil Bajpai. Both Bajpai and Sehrawat had joined Bharatiya Janata Party in a run-up to the national polls.
Following the petition, Delhi Assembly Speaker issued a notice seeking a reply from both the rebels. However, in reply both the lawmakers submitted that they are with Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and did not join Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The lawyers representing the Lawmaker claimed that news items are false and they have not defected to BJP.
ALSO READ:
- PIL filed in Delhi High Court over Triple Talaq Bill; petitioner raises the question on Section 4, 7 of Act
- Vellore Polls: Compliant filed against DMK Chief MK Stalin, others for holding a meeting without ‘permission’
- Congress calls Jharkhand State leaders meeting to discuss rift; state polls strategy