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Election Commission will hear the arguments of Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren’s lawyer in Jharkhand’s mining lease case today. The BJP has complained to the commission in this matter. The party has demanded that Soren be disqualified as an MLA under the election laws. The matter is also pending in the Jharkhand High Court.
When the Election Commission started the hearing on June 28, the BJP’s lawyer had demanded the disqualification of CM Soren under Section 9A of the Representation of the People Act, 1951. This section deals with disqualification of public representatives for taking government contracts etc. In this case, the petitioner BJP says that Soren violated the election law and took a government contract while in office.
In May, the Election Commission had issued notice to Soren
After the Jharkhand Governor referred the matter to the Election Commission, the commission had in May issued a notice to JMM leader and CM Soren under the said law. However, during the preliminary hearing, Soren’s team of lawyers had said that Section 9A of the Representation of the People Act was not applicable in this case. In support of this claim, he had also placed a Supreme Court judgment as a reference before the Election Commission.
Let us tell you, such cases are heard as a quasi-judicial body of the Election Commission. A PIL in the same matter is pending in the Jharkhand High Court. The ED has also intervened in the matter and presented its side in the petition of the High Court. Soren had also sought relief from the Supreme Court in this case, but the top court refused to stay the hearing of the case.