The Election Commission (EC) will next week decide whether elections can be held to fill 17 vacant seats in the Bihar Legislative Council and 18 in Rajya Sabha (RS). The number of voters likely to participate in the election will in Bihar be a major consideration while deciding the poll schedule, said an official aware of the matter.
The 17 seats in Bihar include eight under the teachers’ and the graduates’ constituencies for which over four lakh voters have registered so far. In view of the Covid-19 pandemic that has prompted a national lockdown, the EC last month announced an indefinite deferment of polls.
The 18 vacant Rajya Sabha seats are: Four each in Gujarat and Andhra Pradesh, three each in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh, two in Jharkhand and one each in Manipur and Meghalaya. Gujarat and Rajasthan wrote to the EC asking it to postpone polls. An EC official said discussions were underway andeach state will be assessed first. “In the case of Maharashtra, the state government states that it will ensure elections will be held as per the stated health protocols.”
On the Rajya Sabha elections, Samajwadi Party MP Javed Ali Khan said the decision is the EC’s prerogative. “The situation in Maharashtra was unique. There was a constitutional requirement for the CM [chief minister] to get elected [before he completes six months in office]. But there is no such compulsion to fill the RS seats,” he said.
{{/usCountry}}On the Rajya Sabha elections, Samajwadi Party MP Javed Ali Khan said the decision is the EC’s prerogative. “The situation in Maharashtra was unique. There was a constitutional requirement for the CM [chief minister] to get elected [before he completes six months in office]. But there is no such compulsion to fill the RS seats,” he said.
{{/usCountry}}In Bihar, a state government official said the EC will be apprised about the challenges that will be faced in ensuring social distancing and sanitation protocol for the polls. “We are looking at a large voter participation. Polling stations for these eight seats will be set up at every block across districts and it will not be easy to ensure proper distancing and health protocols.”
Bihar’s opposition Rashtriya Janata Dal lawmaker Manoj Jha said holding the election to the legislative council is different from assembly elections. “There has to be a universal policy for all.” he said. In UP, 11 legislative council seats are vacant and an official said there has been no discussion on when elections will be held for them.