Countdown to crucial Bihar elections to begin soon
Both Quraishi and Sampath had visited Bihar earlier this month to discuss in details readiness of the state with local authorities
New Delhi: Countdown to the crucial Bihar legislative assembly elections may start this weekend with the Election Commission (EC) likely to announce the election schedule in the next few days.
According to indications available, the EC has already worked out details to hold elections for 243-seats in the eastern state in five phases and is likely to make a formal announcement to this regard on Saturday.
Chief Election Commissioner S.Y. Quraishi and Election Commissioner V.S. Sampath Tuesday held detailed meetings with federal home secretary G.K. Pillai and heads of various central police forces to discuss deployment of central forces in the state notorious for violent elections in the past.
Both Quraishi and Sampath had visited Bihar earlier this month to discuss in details readiness of the state with local authorities.
Election Commission, which is a three-member constitutional body with two election commissioners and a chief election commissioner, is unlikely to get the second election commissioner before Bihar elections. While Quraishi was promoted as the chief election commissioner on July 29 following retirement of his predecessor Navin Chawla, the government is yet to name the second election commissioner.
The Election Commission has already rejected demands for single day polling for al 243 seats and is likely to hold it in five phases to ensure better mobilisation and deployment of security forces in its bid to hold a free and fair election.
If the election schedule is announced on Saturday, polling for the first phase can be expected to be held in early October and spill over to early November so that it is concluded before the festival of lights Diwali, which falls on November 5.
As a tradition, the EC would prefer to finish polling in Maoist-infected regions in the first two phases and wrap up elections in rest of the state in remaining three phases.
The rivals for power are ready with their plans. While incumbent chief minister Nitish Kumar would be projected as the chief ministerial candidate of the ruling Janata Dal (Untied)-Bharatiya Janata Party combine, former chief minister Lalu Prasad Yadav would try to dislodge him from power as chief ministerial candidate of the rival Rashtriya Janata Dal-Lok Janshakti Party nominee.
Yadav’s wife Rabri Devi, who was chief minister of the state for eight years before Lalu’s RJD lost power in 2005, is unlikely to even contest the election, making room for Lalu’s return to state politics.
Some pre-poll surveys suggest that the ruling JD (U)-BJP combine could be heading for a landslide victory riding on the popularity of the Nitish Kumar government in the state.
