The ECI had, on January 19 this year, recommended the disqualification of the 20 AAP MLAs for holding offices-of-profit as they were appointed parliamentary secretaries to ministers in the Delhi government in March 2015. The Delhi High Court on Wednesday sought to know from the poll panel why it was not allowing the plea of 20 Aam Aadmi Party MLAs, seeking to summon and cross-examine officials of the Delhi government and State Assembly as witnesses to prove they did not hold office-of-profit. Justice Siddharth Mridul issued notice, and sought response from the Election Commission of India (ECI) and complainant Prashant Patel, on whose plea the poll panel had earlier recommended the disqualification of 20 AAP MLAs. The court told the Election Commission’s counsel that it could go ahead with its scheduled proceedings Thursday, but directed that it should not take any decision or coercive measures in the matter. The court fixed the matter for further hearing on November 1. The court was hearing a plea by Delhi’s Transport Minister and AAP MLA Kailash Gahlot, challenging the ECI’s September 25 decision rejecting the MLAs plea to summon State Assembly officials as witnesses in the office-of-profit matter pending before the ECI. The ECI had, on January 19 this year, recommended the disqualification of the 20 AAP MLAs for holding offices-of-profit as they were appointed parliamentary secretaries to ministers in the Delhi government in March 2015. Two days later, the President of India approved their disqualification. The MLAs had then approached the High Court, which on March 23 restored the membership of 20 disqualified AAP MLAs and referred the case back to the EC for hearing afresh. The MLAs again approached the High Court, after pleas to cross-examine the witnesses were dismissed. The court,on August 20, had allowed the MLAs to move the ECI for permission to summon witnesses and had asked the poll panel to decide it as per law.