Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar, accompanied by Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi, conducted a thorough review of the poll preparedness for the upcoming Bihar Assembly Elections in Patna on Saturday. The Election Commission team is currently on a two-day visit to the state for this purpose.
According to an official release, the ECI, today, interacted with the representatives of recognized national and state political parties namely Aam Aadmi Party, Bahujan Samaj Party, Bharatiya Janata Party, Communist Party of India (Marxist), Indian National Congress, National People's Party, Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) (Liberation), Janata Dal (United), Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas), Rashtriya Janata Dal and Rashtriya Lok Janshakti Party and sought their suggestions.
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CEC Kumar termed political parties as a "significant stakeholder of a strong democracy" and called upon them to fully participate at every stage of the election process by appointing their polling and counting agents.
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The Commission also encouraged the political parties to wholeheartedly celebrate elections in a festive spirit along with the voters. According to the commission, the political parties thanked the poll body for successfully completing the historic Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise and purifying the electoral rolls and reiterated their faith and trust in the electoral processes.
"To maximise the participation of voters in the elections, Political Parties suggested that the elections be scheduled immediately after the Chhath festival and for the elections to be completed in as few phases as possible", the official statement from the EC read.
The Political Parties particularly praised the Commission's recent initiatives such as limiting the maximum number of voters per Polling Station to 1,200, ensuring that the counting of Postal Ballot votes is completed before the penultimate round of EVM counting and ensuring that Form 17C is distributed by the Presiding Officer (PrO) to the Political Party agents before leaving the Polling Station, the commission mentioned.
All the Political Parties expressed complete faith in the Commission and in its fulfilment of the mandate to ensure free, fair, and transparent elections. Following the interaction with the Political Parties, the Commission held a detailed review with Commissioners, IGs, DIGs, DEOs, SSPs, SPs on every aspect of election planning, EVM management, logistics, polling station rationalisation and infrastructure, training of election staff, seizures, law and order, voter awareness and outreach activities.
The Commission also gave detailed instructions to the officers based on the suggestions given by the Political Parties. "The Commission directed all DEOs, SPs, state administration to act with complete impartiality and ensure prompt resolution of the complaints and grievances of the political parties. All DEOs and SPs were instructed to monitor social media for fake news and to respond swiftly with appropriate legal action, if required," the release stated.
The Election Commission is yet to announce the dates for the Bihar Assembly elections. The electoral contest in Bihar is largely expected to be a direct fight between the incumbent National Democratic Alliance (NDA), led by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, and the Mahagathbandhan led by the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD).
In the 243-member Bihar Assembly, the NDA currently holds 131 seats, with the BJP holding 80, JD(U) 45, HAM(S) 4, and two Independents. The Mahagathbandhan holds 111 seats, with the RJD securing 77, followed by the Congress with 19, the CPI(ML) with 11, the CPI(M) with 2, and the CPI with 2.
(With ANI Inputs)