The division bench of Chief Justice Prakash Tatia and Jaya Roy expressed dissatisfaction over the progress in CBI investigation into alleged horse-trading scam in 2010 Rajya Sabha elections.
The CBI is investigating the case of alleged horse trading in the biennial Rajya Sabha elections last year in which a number of state legislators including Sita Soren, daughter-in-law of the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) supremo are also accused. The case started in the high court following a PIL filed by a social outfit - Jharkhand Against Corruption in January this year.
Soon after taking over thecase under orders of the high court, CBI raided the premises of five MLAs belonged to Congress, JMM and BJP.
All the five MLAs were caught on tape in a sting operation expressing eagerness to accept money for casting their votes. Later, a cash of Rs 2 crore was seized from a vehicle by police in Ranchi on the day of voting.
The court had earlier ordered the police to arrest MLA Sita Soren following complaint made by Vikas Pandey former personal assistant of Sita Soren that her former boss (Sita Soren) was behind his abduction on November 24 last year.
According to state assistant solicitor general M Khan the court criticised the state police for its failure to arrest the JMM legislator Sita Soren. The court asked the police to arrest the MLA by May 5 or state principal home secretary and state director general of police should be present during next date of hearing on May 6.
In recent political development, some major political parties including BJP, Jharkhand Vikas Morcha (Prajatantrik), All Jharkhand Students' Union (Ajsu), CPI (ML) and MCC which have a combined strength of 36 MLAs in the 81-member house, had met the state governor Syed Ahmed and placed their demand for dissolution of the state assembly and send recommendation to the Centre to dissolve the state assembly to pave the way for holding fresh elections.
Political observers were making comments that with the changed political scenario in the country, Congress was in the midst of leadership crisis and expecting some sort of relief to the people of Jharkhand during the tenure of the President's Rule in the state so that the party could build its lost base in rural areas of Jharkhand.
The other parties once voiced against the President's Rule were not renewing their demand afresh for holding immediate elections of the state assembly as their strength in vote bank also became weak.
Meanwhile, induction of Ravindra Rai, a close associate of the former Chief Minister Arjun Munda as state party president in March this year also created strong resentment among the senior BJP leaders in the state. The JMM which had been advocating for the formation of an alternative government with the support of the Congress was also kept mum due to anti-incumbency factor and increasing strength of its opponent party - JVM-P in Santal Pargana, the old bastion of the JMM.
Political circles believe formation of an alternate government in Jharkhand is now in a fluid stage.
