Ranchi, Jan 16 The Jharkhand High Court has directed the Hemant Soren-led state government to conduct municipal elections within four months. This directive was issued by the bench of Justice Ananda Sen during a hearing on Thursday in response to a contempt petition filed by outgoing Ranchi Municipal Corporation councillor Roshni Khalkho and others.
State Chief Secretary Alka Tiwari and Urban Development Secretary Sunil Kumar appeared in person during the proceedings on Thursday.
The court raised concerns about the non-compliance with its earlier order dated January 4, 2024, which mandated the announcement of municipal election dates within three weeks.
In response, the state government said that reservation for backward classes in municipal bodies was pending, which was why it was being delayed.
Officials informed the court that the triple-test process to determine the reservation percentage has been nearly completed at the district level, with only a few districts remaining.
They also said that the voter list has yet to be received from the Election Commission of India, which further delayed the elections.
The petitioners argued that municipal elections could proceed without completing the triple test. They cited an earlier Supreme Court ruling, which states that elections cannot be delayed just to determine reservation percentages.
The petitioners accused the state government of intentionally stalling the election process and demanded contempt proceedings against it.
On January 13, the High Court expressed strong dissatisfaction with the government’s failure to conduct municipal elections, terming it a potential case of contempt. The court had said that the ongoing triple-test process for OBC reservation cannot be used as a justification to delay elections.
The tenure of all municipal bodies in Jharkhand expired in April 2023. According to regulations, elections for the new term should have been conducted by April 27, 2023. However, the elections remain pending, which prompted judicial intervention.
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