The Election Commission of India (ECI) has begun a probe against Jharkhand’s water and sanitation minister Mithlesh Thakur after receiving a complaint that has sought his disqualification from the state assembly for allegedly violating section 9 A of the Representation of People’s Act, 1950, while citing his association with a construction firm.
Earlier this month, the ECI had begun a probe against chief minister Hemant Soren to determine if he violated the “office of profit” law by granting a stone chips mining lease to himself.
In the complainant against Thakur, RTI activist and lawyer Sunil Mahto has said in his petition to the ECI that the minister, who represents Garhwa in the assembly, was a director in Satyam Builders, which was engaged in taking government contracts.
“He declared in his 2014 election affidavit that he was director in Satyam Builders. He mentioned nothing about his position in the firm in 2019 election affidavit when he became an MLA. He only showed he has some investment in that firm. However, many of the government contracts his firm took were in existence even after 2019. It’s a clear violation of section 9A of the Representative of People’s Act, 1950,” Mahto has argued.
Following the complaint on March 26, 2022, the ECI on April 5 directed the chief electoral officer (CEO) of Jharkhand to take appropriate action and intimate the election body about the same.
{{/usCountry}}Following the complaint on March 26, 2022, the ECI on April 5 directed the chief electoral officer (CEO) of Jharkhand to take appropriate action and intimate the election body about the same.
{{/usCountry}}On April 19, Jharkhand CEO K Ravi Kumar wrote written to Garhwa district electoral officer-cum- deputy commissioner to take appropriate action in regards to the complaint.
In his defence, Thakur, who belongs to CM Soren’s party JMM, told reporters he had not violated any rule as he had already dissociated himself for the firm Satyam Builders before he became a legislator.