Prez approves dissolution of Jharkhand Assembly

President Pratibha Patil today approved dissolution of Jharkhand Assembly with effect from November one.

The Union Cabinet had approved on Thursday dissolution of the 81-member House, clearing the decks for holding of Assembly elections in the state placed under President's rule in January this year.

Central rule was imposed in the state on January 19 after the then Chief Minister Shibhu Soren lost a by-election and had to resign. Since then, the Assembly had been put under suspended animation. The President's Rule was to end on January 19 next year.

The Union Cabinet had acted on a recommendation for dissolution of the Assembly sent by state Governor K Sankaranarayanan to the Home Ministry recently.

In his recommendation, the Governor had said he felt the state was ready for elections.

The state will go to assembly polls in November-December staggered over nearly a month with the first phase of polling scheduled for November 27.