The Delhi High Court on Monday dismissed a plea to direct the Election Commission of India (ECI) to cancel the registration of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), after allegations were made that the party failed to disclose the criminal antecedents of its candidates ahead of the upcoming assembly elections. The plea was heard by a bench comprising Chief Justice D K Upadhyaya and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela.
The petitioner, Ashwin Mudgal, argued that AAP’s omission was in direct violation of the Supreme Court’s directives, which require all political parties and their candidates to publish their criminal backgrounds to ensure transparency during elections. Further, Mudgal’s counsel highlighted that AAP was implicated in a liquor scam and had neglected to declare its involvement in the case as an accused party.
Despite these arguments, the Delhi High Court noted that the directive to disclose criminal antecedents originates directly from the Supreme Court, and there is no existing legal framework that allows for the de-recognition of a political party based on the non-disclosure of such information. As a result, the court refused to intervene in the matter of AAP’s registration with the ECI.
