SUBHASH MISHRA
Dhanbad, June 16: The Jharkhand chapter of the Indian Medical Association (IMA) is facing uncertainty over its upcoming state elections due to non-compliance by several district chapters with directives from the state body.
Despite a clear instruction issued on March 2 by IMA Jharkhand president Dr. A.K. Singh, secretary Dr. Pradeep Kumar Singh, and treasurer Dr. B.P. Kashyap, many district chapters have failed to conduct their organizational elections within the stipulated three-month period.
Ranchi Among Districts Yet to Hold Polls
The directive required all district units to complete their internal polls by June and submit the list of state council members, who serve as voters in the state-level IMA elections. However, as of June 15, several chapters — including Ranchi — have not complied. This delay has stalled the election process for the state body.
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State Body Issues Reminders
Dr. A.K. Singh confirmed that a reminder was sent on June 9 urging all pending chapters to expedite the election process. So far, only the Chas (Bokaro) chapter has held elections in accordance with the directive. “
We are ready to conduct the state IMA elections anytime, provided we receive the voter lists from all districts,” said state secretary Dr. Pradeep Kumar Singh.
Previous Controversies Prompt Caution
The state secretary noted that the 2022 state IMA elections were marred by disputes, especially when two different committees from three districts — Jamshedpur (East Singhbhum), Deoghar, and Chas — submitted separate voter lists. This led the IMA national body to intervene and issue new rules for the election process.
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Fresh Elections and Voter List Scrutiny Mandated
According to the revised guidelines, each district must now hold fresh elections and forward their updated list of state council members to the national headquarters for validation.
Dr. Pradeep Kumar Singh added that the final voters’ list will be published 15 days prior to the state election to allow for corrections and objections, aiming to prevent any recurrence of past disputes.
