After assembly polls, Bihar gears up for panchayat polls next year

For the first time, multi purpose electronic voting machines( EVMs) where voters can cast their votes for all the six posts would be used during the panchayat polls

After the assembly polls, the state has geared up for panchayat polls next year to fill up around 2.46 lakh posts in the three tier panchayati raj institutions ( PRIs) next year including the posts of Mukhiyas, Sarpanch and district board chairperson. The last panchayat election in the state was held in 2021.

After assembly polls, Bihar gears up for panchayat polls next year

For the first time, multi purpose electronic voting machines( EVMs) where voters can cast their votes for all the six posts would be used during the panchayat polls.

Besides, the State Election Commission ( SEC), which conducts the panchayat and urban local bodies polls, is also tasked with the work of reserving seats for the scheduled caste, scheduled tribe, extremely backward classes and women through rotation, meaning thereby that the existing reserved posts for different categories would be changed as per the population and other criteria under the rules.

“ There is provision that after two continuous panchayat polls, the reserved seats have to be changed through rotation. This exercise will be done ahead of the polls . The work would start from early next year after a few new urban local bodies are formed,” said a SEC official, in know of the matter.

Under the reservation provisions, seats are reserved for scheduled caste and scheduled tribe as per their population while around 20 percent of seats are reserved for extremely backward classes and 50 percent of seats are reserved for women in all the six posts in the three tier PRIs.

There are around 2.46 lakh posts in the PRIs comprising 1.09 lakh posts of ward members of gram panchayats, 8066 posts of Mukhiyas in gram panchayats, 1160 district board members, 11000 panchayat samiti members and 8066 Sarpanch at the gram kutcharies ( village courts having legal powers).

Sources said the SEC has already started the ground work for conducting the polls next year tentatively from September onwards and the panchayat polls would be held in around ten phases across the state. In the last 2021 panchayat polls, the SEC had used EVMs for conduct of polls in a partial manner along with ballot papers .

However, this time, officials said the SEC is going to use multi purpose EVMs where voters’ can cast their votes for all six posts through the voting machines and there would be no use of ballot papers. “ There is a plan to use multi purpose EVMs in the panchayat polls next year. The preparations are already afoot,” said another SEC official.

Sources said the SEC has already ordered around 32000 multi-purpose EVMs for purchase from the Electronics Corporation of India Limited( ECIL) , which would be delivered next year ahead of the polls . The multi purpose EVMs would have six ballot units ( BUs) and one control unit( CUs) and also come equipped with advanced technology .

State Election Commissioner Deepak Prasad said the preparations are going on for the panchayat polls next year and multi purpose EVMs would be used for the first time in the polls.” The multi purpose EVMs would be easier to carry and also are more technically advanced,” Prasad said, adding that the provision for implementing the reservation through rotation for seats in the PRIs would also be done ahead of the polls.

The five year term of the PRIs would end in December 2026.