High Court Rejects Petition Against Gandey Assembly Bypoll

Jharkhand High Court dismissed a petition opposing the Gandey assembly by-election, rejecting claims that it violates the Representation of Peoples Act. The petition argued that the by-election is unnecessary as the remaining assembly term is less than a year. The court ruled in favor of the Election Commission's notification to hold the by-election, in which the ruling party has nominated Kalpana Soren as its candidate.

The Jharkhand High Court on Thursday rejected a petition challenging the notification issued by the Election Commission for the by-election to the Gandey assembly seat.

The petition contended that the notification is in conflict with section 151 A of the Representation of Peoples Act, which it claimed provides that where the remainder of the term is less than one year, no by-election could be held.

The Gandey seat fell vacant after JMM MLA Sarfaraz Ahmad resigned on December 31 last year.

Since the term of the present assembly will expire in January 2025, the by-election of the Gandey seat will be irrelevant, the petitioners argued.

A bench of Justice Ananda Sen after hearing the arguments upheld the notification issued by the EC to hold the by-election.

The ruling JMM has fielded Kalpana Soren, who is the wife of former chief minister Hemant Soren, for the bypoll.