High court orders probe into Jharkhand Rajya Sabha polls

RANCHI: The Jharkhand high court has ordered probe by a specialised agency into the countermanded Rajya Sabha polls in the state.

The court's order came while dismissing two PILs questioning the Election Commission's decision to countermand the elections.

The Election Commission had countermanded the Rajya Sabha polls in the state on March 30 in the wake of allegations of horse trading, saying the election process "has been seriously vitiated".

The EC's move came after seizure of Rs 2.15 crore in cash from a car owned by the brother of an independent Rajya Sabha candidate, hours before the start of RS polling here.

On Wednesday, Jharkhand Congress president Pradeep Kumar Balmachu, one of the five candidates for the March 30 Rajya Sabha elections, had moved the Jharkhand high court urging it to quash the Election Commission's decision to countermand the polls.

In his plea before the bench of chief justice Prakash Chandra Tatia and justice Apresh Kumar Singh, Balamuchu prayed for quashing of the EC's decision claiming it was unconstitutional and did not fall under its jurisdiction.

Arguing that the EC's decision had come though there was no complaint before it, Balmachu contended that there had never been an instance of elections being countermanded on the basis of seizure of cash, weapons and ammunition even during general elections.

The second PIL was filed by one Jaishankar Pathak.

(With inputs from PTI)