SUBHASH MISHRA
Dhanbad, April 14: The Indian Medical Association (IMA) has directed all district branches across Jharkhand to conduct elections and submit the names of their council members (voters) to initiate the state body’s election process.
IMA state president Dr. A.K. Singh and secretary Dr. P.K. Singh stated that the election for the state chapter is due and can only be conducted once the updated voters’ lists from all district branches are received. Therefore, all district branches have been instructed to organize their internal elections.
Past Election Controversy and Need for Updated Lists
The president and secretary recalled that during the 2021 elections, controversies arose when two different voter lists were submitted from certain districts. Initially, the old committee sent a list, followed by another list from the newly elected committee. The matter had to be referred to the national headquarters in Delhi for resolution.
Elections are currently pending in districts such as Ranchi, Giridih, and others. Dr. A.K. Singh emphasized the importance of updating the voters’ lists, noting that some members have passed away and others have been transferred to different districts.
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“Even before Lok Sabha and Assembly elections, voters’ lists are updated. We have similarly asked for fresh, updated lists,” he said.
Transparency Measures for Upcoming Elections
Dr. Pradeep Kumar Singh added that to ensure transparency, the updated voters’ lists would be uploaded on the IMA website. This would allow any member to raise objections, if necessary. Only after resolving all objections will the final voters’ list be sent to the national headquarters.
“No changes will be allowed in the voters’ list once it is submitted to the national headquarters for conducting the polls,” Dr. Singh confirmed.
The state body had first issued a written directive to district branches at its executive meeting held in Dhanbad on March 2. A second reminder was issued today to expedite the process. Elections for the IMA state chapter and district branches are held every two years.
Objection Raised Over Prolonged Tenure of State President
Meanwhile, some IMA members from Ranchi, Dhanbad, and Jamshedpur have raised objections regarding Dr. A.K. Singh’s prolonged tenure as state president. Speaking anonymously, members said that traditionally, no president served more than two terms, but Dr. Singh has remained in office for the past 12 years.
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IMA Coordinator Defends Prolonged Tenure
In defense, IMA Coordinator and former national vice-president Dr. Ajay Kumar Singh of Ranchi stated that since the IMA is a democratic body, there is no fixed term limit for any post. As per the constitution, an office bearer can continue as long as they are elected by the members.
“Jammu & Kashmir is my ‘Sasural,’ where Dr. Gulam M. Mallik has been elected president for several decades through ballots,” he remarked.
