Court stays ASGEA polls

GANGTOK, 06 April: The caretaker body of the All Sikkim Government Employees Association [ASGEA] has stopped the election process of the association following a stay order issued by the Court of Civil Judge [East] Wednesday.
The Court has also issued a show-cause notice and summons to appear in person to the caretaker chairman of ASGEA, Narsing Rai, and Chief Election Commissioner, Norbu Tamang, on 03 May in response of case filed by one of the contestants, Phurzang Lepcha.

Besides the court has passed an order restraining the CEC from conducting the elections till further orders.
The term of the CEC led by Mr Rai ended in November 2010 and the caretaker committee of the association was in the process of holding fresh election.
The date for the polling was announced for 09 April with the appointment of Norbu Tamang of State Bank of Sikkim as the Chief Election Commissioner.
Groups led by CB Rai and Phurzang Lepcha came out to contest the election.
The filing of the nomination was fixed for 28 to 30 March with a condition that candidates who were the member of any other association produce an NOC from his/her respective president or general secretary.
It was informed that all the contestants produced the NOC in time but Phurzang Lepcha submitted his NOC on 31 March, a day after the last date for nomination, and on the ground of late submission of the NOC his nomination was rejected by the Chief Election Commissioner.
Following that, Mr Rai was declared the uncontested candidate for the Chairmanship.
In response, Mr Lepcha went to Court for seeking an injunction on the grounds that the rule to produce an NOC from the parent association was unconstitutional.
Speaking to reporters today, Mr Rai mentioned that respecting the order of the Court, the caretaker CEC has stopped all election processes of the association till further orders of the Court.