Bihar Elections 2020 announced: election to held in 3 phases, voting on October 28, November 3 and 7: results on November 10
The Election Commission took another look at the instructions for holding elections in Bihar due to COVID-19. The Chief Election Commissioner informed about an important modification which is decrease the number of electors at each polling station from 1,500 to 1,000.
Patna, Bihar:
Bihar Elections 2020 were announced on Friday 25th September by the Election Commission. Bihar will vote on October 28, November 3 and 7 for a new government and the results will be announced on November 10. This will be the country’s biggest and first election in the middle of coronavirus crisis and hence will be held with many changes, counting an extra voting hour and no physical contact while campaigning.
Bihar will elect a new 243-member assembly by November 29.
The Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora announcing the three-phase election, referred it as “leap of faith”, “COVID doesn’t show any sign of going down. Some way had to be found to choose representatives and protect the health of people. Life has to go on,” he said, also quoting that JEE and NEET exams took place recently and a large number of students sat for them.
Mr Arora further added “The world has changed significantly since the last elections, which were held for the Delhi assembly. The COVID-19 pandemic has forced a new normal in every aspect of our life. COVID-19 patients can vote in the last hour of the day.”
The voting will take place from 7 AM to 6 PM instead of 5 AM and the Covid patients, suspects people in quarantine will vote separately with zero physical contact assurance in meetings and rallies the Chief Election Commissioner informed. He also said that voters will mandatorily use masks and gloves. The number of phases has also been reduced from five to reduce infection.
Warning against the misuse of social media Mr Arora said “Anyone using social media for mischievous purposes such as for flaring communal tension during elections will have to face consequences; hate speech will be also dealt with harshly.”
Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, who is currently running coalition in the state with the BJP, has soaring hopes to win a fourth term against his former partners in last elections. Last year, in the national election, the Nitish Kumar-BJP-Paswan duo won 39 of 40 parliamentary seats in Bihar, knocking the Tejashwi Yadav lead opposition and gaining a confidence-booster before the state poll.
The opposition will continuously look to cincturing NDA on different agendas. The NDA consists of Nitish Kumar’s Janata Dal United, the BJP, Chirag Paswan’s Lok Janshakti Party and former chief minister Jitan Ram Manjhi’s Hindustani Awam Morcha, which recently switched from the opposition alliance.