The Jharkhand High Court on Tuesday expressed sharp displeasure over the state government’s repeated failure to hold local body elections despite clear directions. Hearing a contempt petition, Justice Anand Sen warned that contempt proceedings could be initiated against Chief Secretary Alka Tiwari, who appeared in person along with the Urban Development Secretary.
The court directed the Chief Secretary to present a concrete timeline for conducting the polls before the next hearing on September 10. Advocate Dheeraj Kumar informed that the petition, filed by former councillor Roshni Khalkho and others, highlighted how the government had ignored successive court orders.
The High Court had first ordered on January 4, 2024, that polls be conducted within three weeks. A challenge before the division bench was dismissed, yet the government continued to delay elections citing the pending “triple test” exercise on OBC reservation. In January this year, the court had again instructed that elections be held within four months of completing the process.
During earlier hearings, Chief Secretary Tiwari had assured the court that the triple test exercise was in its final stages. On August 21, the Backward Classes Commission submitted its report mapping the demographic composition of 48 urban local bodies. The survey showed OBC voters as the largest group – BC-1 at 31.36% and BC-2 at 14.34% – followed by the general category at 34.82%, Scheduled Castes at 11.24%, and Scheduled Tribes at 8.24%.
The High Court has made it clear that the government cannot indefinitely postpone elections under the pretext of the triple test. In an earlier hearing, it remarked that “constitutional machinery has failed in the state.” The final decision on OBC reservation now rests on cabinet approval of the commission’s recommendations.
The coming weeks will decide whether the state government acts on the report or faces stronger judicial intervention for continued non-compliance.