BJP moves SC against Prez Rule in Jharkhand

The Bharatiya Janata Party's Jharkhand unit on Tuesday challenged in the Supreme Court the continuance of President's rule in the state and keeping the assembly under suspended animation.

The petition came up for hearing before a Bench comprising Chief Justice K G Balakrishnan and Justices P Sathasivam and B C Chauhan which defered the hearing for three weeks.

The petition filed by the party's state unit spokesperson Sanjay Seth sought a direction to the Centre to immediately dissolve the House and simultaneously announce the assembly election.

Senior advocate Ajit Kumar Sinha, appearing for the Jharkhand BJP unit, submitted that elections were announced for Maharashtra, Haryana and Arunachal Pradesh before schedule.

"What is the ground that election can't be held in Jharkhand?" he said while questioning the decision of extending the President's rule after July 17.

The BJP alleged the assembly has been illegally kept in suspended animation for the last eight months without any reason and despite assurance given by Home Minister P Chidambram in Parliament that election would be conducted after monsoon, the government has issued fresh notification and extended the President's rule till December.

The House was kept under suspended animation after Jharkhand Muhti Morcha chief Shibu Soren resigned as the Chief Minister after losing the by-elections and there was no clear cut majority for any political party or coalition.