Amid increasing anticipation around the Bihar elections and result dates, a fresh development has offered a hint of when the Election Commission of India plans to announce the polls. Economic Times reported citing sources that Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar will lead a full team from the EC during a visit to the state to review its poll preparedness next week.
The timing of the visit is significant as it could coincide with the publication of the final electoral rolls in Bihar on September 30 which follows the Election Commission of India's Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls which has seen the Opposition up in arms against the intent and timing of the exercise.
INDIA bloc parties, including the Rashtriya Janata Dal and the Congress, have alleged that the exercise was a deliberate attempt by the EC to remove genuine voters from the electoral rolls in a bid to benefit the BJP. The Election Commission has denied the charges.
A plea filed in the Supreme Court in this regard saw some relaxations in terms of the documents required to establish identity and a warning that the entire exercise could be set aside even after the publication of final electoral rolls in case the apex court found any irregularities in the conduct of the SIR.
The final dates of the CEC's visit to Bihar are yet to be announced but remains largely in line with the expectations of an October first-week announcement. The ET report said that the elections may be announced by the poll panel after Dussehra, which will be celebrated on October 2 this year.
The final electoral rolls are to be published on September 30. Traditionally, the Election Commission announces poll dates for a state within a week of the publication of the final electoral rolls and a customary visit by the CEC to check poll preparations.
The CEC's visit, thus, marks a crucial step ahead of the announcement of the poll schedule in Bihar.
The term of the current Assembly concludes on November 22 and the poll panel is required to finish the election exercise prior to this date.
If reports are to be believed, the Bihar Assembly elections are likely to be held after the Chhath Puja which will be observed from October 25-28.
India Today reports that the elections are likely to be held in three phases like the previous polls. The Assembly elections in 2020 were held in three phases on October 28, November 3 and November 7 while the results were declared on November 10. In 2015, however, polling was spread over five phases.
This year, the elections are likely to be held between November 5-15 with the results expected soon after.
In the 243-member Bihar Assembly, the NDA currently holds a majority with 131 members comprising 80 from the BJP, 45 from the JD(U), 4 from the Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular), and 2 Independents. The INDIA bloc, on the other hand, has 111 MLAs, with the RJD's 77, Congress' 19, CPI(ML)'s 11, CPI(M)'s 2, and CPI's 2.
Seat-sharing talks between the NDA and INDIA bloc partners are currently underway as poll dates approach and the final agreement is expected to be announced soon. The NDA, under Chief Minister Nitish Kumar is seeking another term in power while the RJD, Congress and other Opposition parties part of the Mahagathbandhan are hoping to unseat the ruling government on the back of anti-incumbency and a concerted campaign against the SIR.
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