Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders and workers staged demonstrations across the over 250 blocks in Jharkhand demanding conduction of Panchayat elections at the earliest and cancellation of the recently held preliminary tests by Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC).
Addressing a demonstration of party workers and leaders in Namkum, BJP state president and Rajya Sabha MP Deepak Prakash accused the ruling Hemant Soren-led government of delaying Panchayat polls to avoid decentralization of powers, and termed the government’s policies “dictatorial”.
“The government is postponing Panchayat elections as a part of its hidden agenda of continuing the corrupt practices in different areas of the state unabated,” said Prakash, adding that the BJP wants Panchayat polls to be held at the earliest in a bid to bring an end to the “monkey business” in the state.
Prakash said that glaring anomalies in the recently held preliminary exams for JPSC 7 to JPSC 10 have come to light, but the government was unwilling to cancel the exams despite widespread protests by candidates. “Further investigation into the matter will bring to fore the names of several Congress party and Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) leaders involved in the JPSC scam,” he said.
BJP handed addressed a memorandum to Governor Ramesh Bais throwing light on the alleged malpractices of the ruling government.
During the day-long demonstration, BJP General Secretary Dharampal Singh attended the demonstration at Nagdi Block, General Secretary Aditya Sahu at Kanke Block and General Secretary Balmukund Sahai at Garhwa Block.
The tenure of the over 4,000 Panchayat bodies in Jharkhand have already been extended twice. In January, the state government extended the tenure of Panchayat bodies by six months owing to the failure in conducting elections due to the Covid-19 pandemic. In August, their tenure was extended for the second time.
Ministers in the government have said in the past that the state government was in talks with the Election Commission of India (ECI) regarding Panchayat polls, and was waiting for the ECI to announce the dates.
Meanwhile, several thousand JPSC aspirants have been demanding cancellation of the recently conducted preliminary tests for JPSC 7 to 10 citing favouritism and anomalies in the system. The protestors also accused the commission of not releasing cut-off marks for the exams.
Following widespread protests by students, JPSC recently released the category-wise cut-off marks for the exams and also answered queries of the candidates. However, student bodies, backed by political parties, still stick to their demand of cancelling the exams.
