New Delhi, Jan 19: The Delhi High Court on Friday refuses to grant interim relief to Aam Aadmi Party MLAs in Office of Profit case.

On earlier today, the Election Commission of India (ECI) recommended that 20 Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLAs be disqualified from the Delhi Assembly for holding offices of profit.

Vijender Gupta, the leader of Opposition in the Delhi Assembly and also a member of BJP’s National Executive on Friday asked Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to resign from the post.

“This case was in March 2015, an open and shut case but for past three years, the AAP and its MLAs were trying to delay this matter. Kejriwal should now resign, as it his moral loss,” Gupta told ANI.

He also alleged that AAP MLAs were lying about the matter and their leadership could not be seen anywhere.

“Their truth has now come before the public; AAP has been exposed. They only did blame game politics,” he added.

Earlier in the day petitioner Prashant Patel in the Aam Aadmi Party MLAs’ office of profit case expressed satisfaction over the Election Commission’s recommendations.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee extended her support to Delhi Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party leader Arvind Kejriwal, following the Election Commission’s recommendation to disqualify 20 party MLAs.

“A Constitutional body cannot be used for political vendetta. The 20 AAP MLAs were not even given a hearing by the Hon EC. Most unfortunate. This goes against the principles of natural justice.At this hour we are strongly with @arvindkejriwal and his team”, she wrote on Twitter.

In cases where petitions are made seeking the disqualification of lawmakers, the President sends a reference to the Election Commission Of India which decides on the case by sending back its opinion.

The Election Commission has sent its recommendation to President Ram Nath Kovind for his assent. In cases where petitions are made seeking disqualification of lawmakers, the president sends a reference to the EC which decides on the case by sending back its opinion.

In the current scenario, the petition was directed at 21 MLAs, but one MLA, named Jarnail Singh, resigned earlier. He resigned last year, to fight in the Punjab elections against then Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal.

If the president gives his assent, the disqualification of the legislators would pave the way for by-elections in Delhi.

(With Inputs from Agencies)