Bihar Assembly Elections 2020 dates OUT: Voting in 3 phases; Results on November 10

Election Commission of India (ECI) on Friday anunced schedule for Bihar assembly elections on Friday in a press conference in New Delhi. Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sunil Arora said that polls for 243-member legislative assembly will be held in three phases.  

Bihar will vote in 3 phases - First, on October 28, Second on vember 3 and third on vember 7.  results will be anunced on vember 10,  Election Commission anunced.  

Sunil Arora anunced that Model Code of Conduct (MCC) stands enforced with this anuncement. Commission has already made elaborate arrangements for ensuring effective implementation of MCC guidelines, he said. 

'7.2 crore single-use hand gloves arranged'

Speaking on elections being held amid Coronavirus pandemic, CEC said, "As days and months passed & COVID-19 showed signs of abetting, it was realised that some way would have to be found to balance democratic rights of electorate while also making sincere and systematic efforts to protect health and safety of people.

Sunil Arora said that COVID-19 patients who are quarantined will be able to cast ir vote on last day of poll, at ir respective polling stations, under supervision of health authorities. "This is beside option of postal facility already extended to m," he said. 

"Over 7 lakh hand sanitiser units, about 46 lakh masks, 6 lakh PPE kits, 6.7 lakh units of faces-shields, 23 lakh (pairs of) hand gloves have been arranged. For voters specifically, 7.2 crore single-use hand gloves arranged," Sunil Arora stated.

"To furr decongest polling stations and allow more free movement of voters, polling time has been increased by 1 hour. It'll be held from 7 am-6 pm, instead of 7 am-5 pm earlier. However, this will t be applicable to Left-wing affected areas," Chief Election Commissioner said. 

Bihar polls amid COVID-19

Last week, according to a statement issued by Election Commission of India, Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Arora explained impact of COVID-19 on election. He highlighted how Coronavirus exigencies and social distancing measures necessitated a revisit of EC's existing instructions.

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maximum number of electors at a polling station was reduced from 1,500 to 1,000, and consequently, number of polling stations jumped by 40%, from 65,000 to 100,000. se changes have huge logistics and manpower implications, he pointed out. CEC also observed that poll watchdog has placed a lot of emphasis on extending facilitation to senior citizens, women, persons with disabilities and in current circumstances, ensuring franchise to COVID-19 positive voters and those in quarantine.

NDA vs Mahagathbandhan in Bihar elections

Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, who leads a coalition with BJP, will fight for a fourth term in se elections, with opposition RJD and Congress challenging him.  ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) includes Janata Dal-United, BJP, Chirag Paswan's Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) and former Chief Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi's Hindustani Awam Morcha.

In  243-member assembly seat, NDA currently has 131, and Mahagathbandhan has 101 seats (11 seats are vacant). In 2015 assembly polls, CM Nitish Kumar's JDU, n a part of Mahagathbandhan won 71 seats, Lalu Prasad Yadav's RJD won 80 seats, and Congress won 27 seats. BJP which fought elections alone after Kumar in 2013 broke 17-year-old alliance won a mere 53 seats out of 157 contested. However, saffron party came back to power when Kumar ditched Mahagathbandhan and once again stitched an alliance with BJP.

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