Jharkhand IMA election snowballs into controversy over tenure

SUBHASH MISHRA

Dhanbad, Dec 20: The election of the state Indian Medical Association (IMA) has snowballed into controversy as some members from Dhanbad, Jamshedpur and Ranchi have alleged that the constitution has been violated by allowing the outgoing president and secretary for the 4^th term.

The members claim that as per the constitution, the office–bearer  can contest only for two terms. In 21 years of Jharkhand, the presidents and secretaries did not contest after the completion of one or two terms. But the present president Dr. AK Singh and secretary Dr Pradeep Kumar Singh are contesting for the 4^th and 3^rd time respectively which is a violation of the constitution.

“After the creation of the Jharkhand chapter of IMA, Dr. M Alam (Jamshedpur), Dr Subhra Chakravarti (Ranchi), and Dr AK Chatterjee (Deoghar) did not contest after completion of their one or two terms. Dr AK Singh of Dhanbad has contested for 4^th term,” charged an IMA member of Jamshedpur. Dr AK Singh has been holding the post since 2012.

A senior member of Ranchi said that for the healthy traditions of the organization, the post holder can’t contest after the completion of two terms.

However, former IMA national vice-president cum IMA academic chairman  Dr Ajay Kumar Singh ( Ranchi) said that nothing is written in the constitution about it.

“There is a tradition and understanding that one would not hold the post for more than two terms. But we can’t stop him from contesting if he is popular,” said Dr Singh, the patron of the state IMA.

He went on to say that IMA was formed in 1928 and there was a tradition that the secretary of the national body would be only from Delhi. In the 1960s,  Dr Dwarika of Hyderabad contested for the post of secretary.Though he lost, no one stopped him from contesting. Similarly, present national secretary of IMA Dr Jayesh Lele is from Maharashtra. So contesting for more than two terms does not violate the constitution.

Dr  Ajay Kumar Singh said that in the last 21 years, as per tradition one vice-president and a joint secretary from each  division of the state had been elected unanimously.

This time, five divisions elected unanimously but from Kolhan division  two candidates Dr KK Singh and Dr Bhakhla ( for vice-president post) and Dr Ashok Kumar and Dr Ajay Prasad (for joint secretary post) are contesting.