NEW DELHI, June 9: Delhi High Court today allowed Janata Dal national executive to meet but restrained it from taking any decision to postpone the presidential poll fixed for June 18 by the court.

Modifying the June 7th order, justice S N Kapoor said the national executive was free to take any political decision and work out any compromise formula but ``shall not take any decision to postpone the election''.

A Delhi court had, on Saturday, restrained the national executives from meeting as it would amount to interfering with the election process.

Justice Kapoor, on June 7, had deferred the election for the top party post, for which Laloo Prasad Yadav and Sharad Yadav are the two candidates, to June 18. The court has also appointed retired Rajasthan High Court judge, M C Kochar, to conduct the poll.

Meanwhile, returning officers, P K Samantray and B K Prasad, today filed an appeal against the June seven order of the high court whereby only P K Samantray was allowed to assist justice Kochar in conducting the poll.The appeal would come for hearing tomorrow. The modification order came in the wake of two appeals filed in the high court against the lower court order staying the meeting of national executive.

The court reiterated its decision in restraining both Laloo Prasad Yadav and Sharad Yadav from interfering in the election process.

The appellants, Samantray and Prasad, seeking the setting aside of the June seven order, said that they had no grievance against the appointment of justice Kochar as the sole authority as regard to conduct of party presidential poll.

However, they said ``we are willing to work under justice Kochar's supervision subject to restoration of all powers of returning officers''. In the earlier order, though, the high court had suggested that Samantray would assist justice Kochar along with general secretary, Bapu Kaldate. Laloo Prasad Yadav, through his counsel, had told the court that a compromise formula would be worked out only after the removal of the two returning officers.

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.