Former CEC A K Joti disqualified AAP MLAs to please BJP-led govt, alleges CPI

Former CEC Achal Kumar Joti 

The CPI on Tuesday accused former chief election commissioner A K Joti of disqualifying 20 AAP MLAs on charge of holding office-of-profit “to please” the NDA government at the centre . “It appears that the Commission and in particular the (then) Chief Election Commissioner A K Joti acted in a manner which makes one conclude that the recommendation was a political one taken to please the BJP-led NDA government at the centre,” a CPI statement said.

The Central Secretariat of CPI on Tuesday strongly condemned what it called the “unilateral and hurried move” of the Election Commission to recommend the disqualification of the 20 AAP MLAs for holding office-of-profit. It alleged that the Commission did not “bother to hear the AAP leaders on the issue”.

The Left party has also alleged that the “decision to disqualify was taken in a hurry on the day of retirement of the CEC who was also seen earlier as pro-BJP government at the Centre”.

Joti on Monday demitted office after heading the poll body for six months. He has been succeeded by O P Rawat.