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

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

Bihar will vote in 3 phases - First, on October 28, Second on November 3 and the third on November 7. The results will be announced on November 10, the Election Commission announced.  

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

'7.2 crore single-use hand gloves arranged'

Speaking on the elections being held amid Coronavirus pandemic, the CEC said, "As days and months passed & COVID-19 showed no signs of abetting, it was realised that some way would have to be found to balance the democratic rights of the 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 their vote on the last day of poll, at their respective polling stations, under the supervision of health authorities. "This is beside the option of the postal facility already extended to them," 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 further 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 not be applicable to Left-wing affected areas," the Chief Election Commissioner said. 

Bihar polls amid COVID-19

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

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The maximum number of electors at a polling station was reduced from 1,500 to 1,000, and consequently, the number of polling stations jumped by 40%, from 65,000 to 100,000. These changes have huge logistics and manpower implications, he pointed out. The CEC also observed that the 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 the Mahagathbandhan in Bihar elections

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

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