Election Commission to hold fresh elections for two Rajya Sabha Jharkhand seats

NEW DELHI: The Election Commission on Tuesday announced fresh elections to the two Rajya Sabha seats in Jharkhand on May 3.

The poll, which was earlier scheduled for April 30, was countermanded after large-scale use of moneypower was reported to the EC and the income-tax department seized a vehicle carrying cash worth 2.15 crore allegedly for "horse-trading" on behalf of BJP candidate RK Agarwal.

The new schedule announced by the EC lists April 16 as the date for issue for notification and April 23 as the last date for filing nominations. Nominations would be scrutinised on April 24 and candidatures can be withdrawn until April 26. The poll would be held on May 3.

The fresh polls would reduce the elbow room for the moneybags to use financial inducements to "influence" MLAs from the rival camp to vote in their favour. While requesting the President to rescind the notification for the April 30 poll, the Commission had unambiguously stated that the large-scale use of moneypower in Jharkhand had vitiated the poll process, forcing it to countermand the poll.