New Delhi: Dates for assembly elections
in Jharkhand, which is now under President`s rule, would be
soon notified to the state soon, the Centre on Monday told the
Supreme Court.
Attorney General G E Vahanvati told a bench of Chief
Justice K G Balakrishnan and B S Chauhan that the Chief
Election Commissioner had spoken to him and assured that the
election dates would be notified soon.
However, counsel for BJP`s Jharkhand unit which had
filed the petition, questioned the Attorney General`s claim
and submitted election dates cannot be notified unless the
state assembly was dissolved.
He said the assembly was deliberately kept under
suspended animation rather than being dissolved, which could
have facilitated conduct of elections.
The apex court, however, did not pass any direction
and posted the matter for further hearing after two weeks.
The petition filed by BJP`s state unit spokesman
Sanjay Seth sought a direction to the Centre to immediately
dissolve the assembly and simultaneously announce the assembly
elections.
Senior advocate Ajit Kumar Sinha had earlier complained
that assembly elections were announced for Maharashtra,
Haryana and Arunachal Pradesh before schedule but Jharkhand
was left out.
BJP has alleged Jharkhand assembly has been illegally
kept in suspended animation for the last eight months without
any reason and despite assurance given by Home Minister P
Chidambram in Parliament that election would be conducted
after monsoon, the government has issued a fresh notification
and extended the President`s rule till December.
The House was kept under suspended animation after
Shibu Soren resigned as Chief Minister after losing the
assembly byelections and there was no clear majority for any
political party or coalition.
Bureau Report
