Marandi drags feet on civic body polls

The Jharkhand government is yet to hold municipal and panchayat polls in the state though it has passed the Panchayat Raj Bill, 2001 and adopted the Jharkhand Panchayat Raj Election Rules (JPRC), 2002.

On being asked why the polls haven’t been held yet, Chief Minister Babulal Marandi reassured: ‘‘Hoga, jaldi hoga (They will be held soon)’’. After the amendment of the Bill and the JRPC, the State Election Commission (SEC) prepared a poll schedule proposing to hold panchayat polls in five phases between May 12 and 19.

Way back in April, the SEC sent this schedule to the Governor through the Chief Minister’s Office for approval. But, as a senior SEC officer put it, ‘‘the CMO never cleared it. The CM wants to delay the polls till a poll scenario emerges in the state for the BJP and its coalition partners.’’