The Supreme Court on Thursday declined to grant urgent hearing to Jharkhand Vikas Morcha (JVM) leader Babu Lal Marandi on his petition alleging repeated misuse of Article 164(4) of the Constitution in appointing non-legislator chief minister in the state.
A vacation bench of Justices G.S. Singhvi and C.K. Prasad told Mr Marandi’s counsel Anurag Kumar that the petition would be taken up in a routine manner when he made a special mention for its early hearing.
Mr Marandi, heading the 11-member JVM group in the state assembly had moved the SC on Tuesday raising an important constitutional question on the alleged “misuse” of Article 164 (4) repeatedly in the state with the governor allowing incumbent chief minister Shibu Soren of JMM taking oath thrice but never fulfilling the condition of getting elected as an MLA. According to the petition, Mr Soren took the benefit of Article 164(4) in March 2003, August 2008 and December 2009.