Polls for 24 Legislative Council seats on April 4

The long-awaited biennial elections to 24 seats of the 75-member Bihar Legislative Council will be held on April 4, according to a press note issued by the Election Commission of India (ECI) on Wednesday.

The long-awaited biennial elections to 24 seats of the 75-member Bihar Legislative Council will be held on April 4, according to a press note issued by the Election Commission of India (ECI) on Wednesday.

Elections for these 24 seats, whose electorate comprise elected representatives of local bodies, were due since July 16 last year, when the six-year tenure of their incumbent representatives ended. (Picture for representation)

Candidates can file their nominations till March 16 and withdraw from the fray till March 21. The votes will be counted on April 7 and the results to be announced the same day.

Elections for these 24 seats, whose electorate comprise elected representatives of local bodies, were due since July 16 last year, when the six-year tenure of their incumbent representatives ended.

In the notification, the ECI stated that the elections on the legislative council seats had to be deferred as rural local bodies, which constitute about 97.56% of the total electoral college, couldn’t be reconstituted due to prevalence of Covid-19 pandemic. The elections to the panchayati raj institutions (PRIs) were due on June 15, 2021.

Quoting a letter from the chief election officer (CEO), Bihar, the ECI statement said the elections to the rural bodies had been concluded and more than 75% electors, who also comprise MPs, MLAs, ward councillors of urban local bodies, are now ready to exercise their franchise.

Main opposition Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) has already named its candidates on 23 seats, leaving one for the CPI. The Congress too has announced to field its nominees on all the seats after a snub from ally RJD. It has so far named eight candidates.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has already decided to field candidates on 12 seats, leaving 11 seats for chief minister Nitish Kumar’s JD-U and one for Lok Janshakti Party (Paras group).

The seats on which elections are to be held are: Patna, Nalanda, Gaya-cum-Jehanabad-cum-Arwal, Aurangabad, Nawada, Bhojpur-cum-Buxar, Rohtas-cum-Kaimur, Saran, Siwan, Gopalganj, West Champaran, East Champaran, Muzaffarpur, Vaishali, Sitamarhi, Sheohar Darbhanga, Samastipur, Munger-cum-Jamui-cum-Lakhisarai-cum-Sheikhpura, Begusarai-cum-Khagaria, Saharsa-cum-Madhepura-cum-Supaul, Bhagalpur-cum-Banka, Purnia-cum-Araria-cum-Kishanganj and Katihar.