The Election Commission today wrote to the government seeking a CBI probe into the events that led to the countermanding of the recent Rajya Sabha elections in Jharkhand. Election Commission sources told AIR that a letter was sent to the Department of Personnel and Training for conducting a CBI probe into the Rajya Sabha polls which were countermanded as the poll was vitiated.

The Jharkhand High Court, while disposing of two petitions challenging the countermanding of the Rajya Sabha polls in the state, had asked the Election Commission to conduct a thorough probe by an independent agency into the events that led to the countermanding of the poll.

The EC had countermanded the Rajya Sabha polls in Jharkhand in the wake of allegations of use of money-power and horse-trading of MLAs ahead of the polls on the 30th of March.

Huge amount of cash was also seized in Ranchi on polling day. Consequently, the Election Commission had concluded that the election process for the Rajya Sabha election from Jharkhand was seriously vitiated and could not be permitted to proceed. The Election Commission had then recommended to President Pratibha Patil for countermanding of the poll and rescinding of the notification in this regard, which was subsequently done.