The JMM, which is part of the coalition government in Jharkhand along with the Congress and the RJD, has suggested to the Election Commission (EC) to hold Assembly polls in the state after November 15 and complete it by December first week.

“We have suggested to the chief election commissioner (Rajiv Kumar) that Jharkhand observes a series of festivals between October and mid-November starting from Durga Puja (Dussehra), Diwali and Chhath and the tribals observe November 15 (birth anniversary of tribal icon Birsa Munda) which is also the statehood day (carved out of Bihar) on a festive note and requested that election process is carried out after November 15 and complete it before December first week so that the current government completes its term,” said Giridih MLA and party spokesperson Sudivya Kumar Sonu. Sonu was part of the JMM delegation (along with party central general secretary Supriyo Bhattacharya), which met the EC in Ranchi.

The election for the fifth Jharkhand Assembly was completed on December 23, 2019, and the government was formed on December 29.

“Therefore, if the election of the sixth state Assembly is finished by the first week of December, the current state government will get the opportunity to complete its full term, the JMM informed the commission,” in a letter submitted to EC and shared to the media.

The party also urged the EC to bar leaders from making speeches in the name of religion or caste during campaigns.

“The BJP leaders have been making speeches in the name of religion and caste since August this year, which has created a situation of religious and cultural divisions in the society. It is your responsibility to ensure that communal polarisation does not take place and people can vote freely without any fear, the party representatives told the EC team,” the statement said.

It also urged the EC to conduct the polls in a single phase.

The BJP demanded that the EC relieve Jharkhand’s home secretary Vandana Dadel from poll duty.

BJP state vice-president Rakesh Prasad and Sudhir Srivastava of the legal cell participated in it as a BJP delegation.

The BJP termed Vandana Dadel’s allegations of BJP leaders spreading communalism especially BJP assembly election in-charge and union agriculture and rural development minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and party co-in-charge and Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sharma as wrong and cited the letter written by Vandana Dadel to the Election Commission earlier this month complained against BJP leaders.