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Ranchi, Nov 10 (IANS) The Jharkhand High Court on Monday asked the State Election Commission (SEC) to tell when the elections for 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 Anand Sen issued the direction while hearing a contempt petition on the long delay in holding municipal corporation elections in the state.
The court also sought clarification from the SEC regarding the reasons for the delay and necessary steps from the state government to expedite the process.
The next hearing of the case will be on November 24.
During the hearing on Monday, Advocate General Rajeev Ranjan, representing the government, informed the court that the government has submitted to the SEC the report of the ‘triple test’ exercise for reservation of seats for backward classes in municipal bodies.
He said the SEC has sought additional details including ward-wise reservation data and updated population figures, which the government will provide soon, after which the election notification will be issued.
However, lawyer Sumeet Gadodia, appearing for the SEC, said that a complete and clear report on seat reservation has not yet been received from the government.
He said that after the report is submitted, the commission will require about three months to complete the election process.
The contempt petition was filed by former Ranchi Municipal Corporation councilor Roshni Khalkho and another petitioner Reena Kumari, seeking compliance with the earlier order of the High Court directing the municipal elections to be held on time.
On January 4, 2024, the court had ordered that elections to all municipal bodies be held within three weeks – an order that remains unfulfilled.
There are 48 urban local bodies in Jharkhand. Elections in 12 of them are pending since June 2020, while the tenure of the remaining bodies ends in April 2023.
No municipal corporation elections have been held in the state since 2023.
–IANS
SNC/SKP/VD