Cong gives first signs of Jharkhand polls

While the election in Jharkhand is scheduled in February 2010,the state Assembly has been under suspended animation since January this year when Presidents Rule was imposed in the state due to political uncertainty after chief minister Shibu Soren lost a bypoll. Presidents Rule,further extended by six months last July,will come to an end on January 19,2010.

The UPA government has been under attack from Opposition leaders like BJPs Yashwant Sinha and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar for the delay in dissolving the Assembly and holding fresh elections. In the recent Lok Sabha elections,the Congress won only one out of the 14 seats in Jharkhand,as against the BJPs tally of eight.

The Congress president also announced screening committees for three other election-bound states.

Haryana Finance Minister Birendra Singh was appointed chairman of Maharashtra committee to screen party candidates for Assembly election,even as he is himself set to contest the election in Haryana. The screening committees for Haryana and Arunachal Pradesh will be headed by Mohsina Kidwai and Oscar Fernandes respectively.