BJP to petition EC for early election

NEW DELHI: After getting all its MLAs in Jharkhand to put in their papers, BJP will on Wednesday petition the Election Commission to press for early assembly polls to the state.

The move is part of the sustained campaign launched by BJP to exert pressure on the UPA government at the Centre to hold assembly polls in the state as early as possible. The term of President���s rule in the state comes to an end on January 19.

Elections to the state assemblies of Maharashtra, Haryana and Andhra Pradesh will be held in the first half of October, and the saffron outfit wanted the Centre to order simultaneous polls in Jharkhand. Congress��� central leadership, however, is no hurry to oblige BJP.

It first wants to put its house in order in the state, and earn political goodwill by providing a semblance of good governance in the state. It was with this aim that it booted out Mr Syed Sibtey Razi from the governor���s post and handing over reins of the state to Mr K Shankaranarayanan.