The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Tuesday issued a fresh notice to Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren for allegedly allocating a mining lease to himself. The commission asked the Chief Minister to reply within 10 days, sources told news agency ANI.
Meanwhile, Soren has sought more time to respond to the prior notice issued to him by the Election Commission due to the illness of his mother, the sources informed.
Last week also the EC had sent a notice to Soren for the alleged violation of Section 9A of the Representation of Peoples' Act 1951.
The poll panel sought to know as to why no action should be initiated against him for having the mine lease issued in his favour.
Section 9A of the Representation of People's Act primarily deals with disqualification of government contracts.
Jharkhand's ruling JMM and opposition BJP have been locking horns over Soren flouting office-of-profit norms due to the mining lease being in his name.
The Jharkhand Mukti Morcha has maintained that no rules were violated and the allocation of land for mining was cancelled.
