Jharkhand election commission puts on hold counting for mayoral elections

Says counting of votes for ward councilors will be done according to schedule on Thursday

The state election commission puts on hold counting for the mayoral elections following alleged cash-for-vote scandal since the seizure of Rs 22.61 lakh kept in hundreds of envelopes inside three leather bags by police from a city-based hotel room booked by Congress leader Niranjan Sharma just a day's before the elections of the Ranchi Municipal Corporation The city police has registered a criminal case against Khalkho after seizure of the cash on the orders of the state election commission.

State election commissioner S D Sharma told media that counting of votes for ward councilors will be done according to schedule on Thursday.

Congress leader Niranjan Sharma who had booked the hotel's conference hall and a room for holding meeting of the party leaders with the polling agents before a day's elections also taken into custody and the bail petition moved on his bail was rejected by the Judicial magistrate.

Meanwhile, judicial magistrate issued the arrest of warrant against Khalkho after she was named in an FIR on April 7.Police claimed that they had launched a search for Khalkho but she was not traceable.