Ranchi, Nov 10 (IANS) The Jharkhand High Court on Monday asked the State Election Commission (SEC) to specify when elections to municipal corporations and urban local bodies will be held in the state.
It also asked the Commission to submit a report outlining the proposed timeline for holding elections.
A bench led by Justice Ananda Sen issued the directive while hearing a contempt petition over the prolonged delay in conducting municipal elections in the state.
The court also sought an explanation from the SEC regarding the reasons for the delay and the steps required from the state government to expedite the process.
The matter will next be heard on November 24.
During the hearing on Monday, Advocate General Rajiv Ranjan, representing the government, informed the court that the government has submitted the report of the ‘triple test’ exercise for reservation of seats for backward classes in municipal bodies to the SEC.
He said the SEC had sought additional details, including ward-wise reservation data and updated population figures, which the government would provide soon, after which the election notification would be issued.
However, advocate Sumeet Gadodia, appearing for the SEC, stated that a complete and clear report on seat reservations has not yet been received from the government.
He said the Commission would require approximately three months to complete the election process once the report is submitted.
The contempt petition was filed by former Ranchi Municipal Corporation councillor Roshni Khalkho and another petitioner, Reena Kumari, seeking compliance with the High Court’s earlier order directing the timely conduct of municipal polls.
On January 4, 2024, the court had ordered that elections to all municipal bodies be held within three weeks — an order that remains unfulfilled.
Jharkhand has 48 urban local bodies. Elections in 12 of them have been pending since June 2020, while the terms of the remaining bodies expired in April 2023.
No municipal election has taken place in the state since 2023.
–IANS
snc/skp/vd