Jharkhand Assembly Election: Supreme Court Denies Former CM Madhu Koda Permission To Contest Polls

Jharkhand Assembly Election 2019: The Supreme Court on Thursday denied former Jharkhand chief minister Madhu Koda permission to contest the upcoming state elections. However, Supreme Court issued notice to Election Commission of India on the petition. The top court on Wednesday had agreed to hear Koda's plea challenging his disqualification by the Election Commission in 2017 for not submitting poll expenses.

A bench headed by CJI designate Justice SA Bobde had taken note of the submission that Koda's petition needed an urgent hearing in view of the fact that the last date for filing nomination for the upcoming Assembly polls was concluding on November 18. Koda was disqualified by the poll panel in 2017 for not submitting poll expenses incurred by him in contesting assembly election in an appropriate format. Koda, an Independent MLA, served as the chief minister from 2006 to 2008.

Jharkhand is currently ruled by the Bharatiya Janata Party. The ongoing term of the Jharkhand assembly will end on January 5. The elections will be held in five phases and will start on November 30. Polling will be held in 81 assembly seats in Jharkhand. Results for the Jharkhand assembly elections will be declared on December 23. The first phase of Jharkhand assembly elections will be held on November 30, the second phase will be held on December 7, third phase on December 12, fourth phase on December 16 and the last and fifth phase of polling will be held on December 20.