Floods cause further delay in Panchayat polls

Panchayat polls in Bihar could be delayed further and start from mid-September onwards instead of August as planned earlier, state poll panel officials said, citing flood-like situation in several districts and an intensifying monsoon

Panchayat polls in Bihar could be delayed further and start from mid-September onwards instead of August as planned earlier, state poll panel officials said, citing flood-like situation in several districts and an intensifying monsoon.

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The State Election Commission (SEC) has earlier planned to hold polls in 10 phases from August.

Several districts in north Bihar, particularly Darbhanga and East Champaran, have witnessed flood-like situation after incessant rains over the past few days.

“We want the major part of monsoon to be over so that there is good participation of voters and polling personnel face fewer difficulties in reaching distant places. Right now, things are a bit difficult because of rains, which has hampered communication systems. By September, things would be easy,” said a top SEC official familiar with the matter.

“We have to complete the election process by November end so that panchayat bodies come into existence by December,” the official said.

At present, the panchayat raj institutions ( PRIs) in the state are being run through advisory committees for a period of six months from June to December following an ordinance brought by the state government. The panchayat polls, scheduled to be held in March- April, were deferred owing to litigation over non-availability of specified electronic voting machines( EVMs) and outbreak of second wave of Covid pandemic in April.

Top officials said a new schedule is being worked out based on feedback from the districts and after assessing ground level preparations at 1.14 lakh booths and availability of single-post EVMs. The SEC is also planning to hold election in initial rounds in such blocks where preparations are already at an advanced stage and there is less disruption from rains.

Sources said over 1.50 lakh out of the total 2 lakh EVMs requisitioned from across the country have arrived in respective districts.

“The first level checking of EVMs will start from August 1 and the process will be completed by August 20,” said SEC secretary Yogendra Ram.

This time, the SEC will hold elections for four posts in three-tier PRIs ( gram panchayat member, mukhiya, panchayat samiti member and district board member) through EVMs while polling for two others posts in gram kutcheries , panch and sarpanch, would be held through ballot papers.

Security deployment

State’s paramilitary forces, district armed police and Home Guards would be deployed at 1.14 lakh booths during the panchayat polls.

Senior SEC officials said at least one police officer and three constables would be deployed on every booth.

Panchayat polls in the state over the past one decade have been largely peaceful but there were incidents of large-scale rigging and violence in the 2007 panchayat polls.