The Jharkhand High Court, on Friday, directed the Election Commission of India (ECI) to file an affidavit within two weeks, detailing the timeline for providing an updated voter list to the State Election Commission for the impending municipal elections in Jharkhand. The directive came from Justice Ananda Sen during the hearing of a contempt petition initiated by former ward councillor Roshni Khalko over delays in conducting the municipal polls.
During the proceedings, the ECI’s counsel admitted that while a voter list had been compiled, it was yet to be updated—a revelation that prompted the court to inquire whether the existing list could be utilized for the forthcoming elections. The ECI is expected to clarify this issue in their upcoming affidavit.
The legal push for municipal elections in Jharkhand has seen a series of judicial interventions, starting with a writ petition filed by Khalko earlier in 2023 after the tenure of ward councillors expired. Following a court order on January 4, 2024, mandating the government to hold elections within three weeks—a directive that remained unfulfilled—Khalko escalated her legal battle by filing a contempt petition.
In response to the ongoing delay, the high court on January 16 issued another order requiring the government to organize the elections within four months. The urgency of the matter was underscored by a prior summons for chief secretary Alka Tiwari to appear in person during the hearings.
