Both the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and the opposition Mahagathbandhan in Bihar on Saturday urged the Election Commission of India (ECI) to hold the forthcoming assembly polls in the state in one phase or maximum two phases in a meeting with the Election Commission of India.
The full team of ECI, led by chief election commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar and two election commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi, held meetings with representatives of 12 recognised political parties in Patna as part of the ECI's three-day visit to Bihar to assess the poll preparedness in the state.
The poll schedule is expected to be announced in the next few days.
In 2020 assembly polls, the election was conducted in three phases, on October 28, November 3 and 7, and the counting of votes was done on November 10.
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BJP flags burqa-clad women
"We have urged the EC to conduct the elections in one or two phases. The election process need not be staggered,” said Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) state president Dilip Jaiswal, after attending the meeting with the ECI team, adding that it would also put less burden of expenses on voters' and candidates of various political parties.
{{/usCountry}}"We have urged the EC to conduct the elections in one or two phases. The election process need not be staggered,” said Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) state president Dilip Jaiswal, after attending the meeting with the ECI team, adding that it would also put less burden of expenses on voters' and candidates of various political parties.
{{/usCountry}}“Also, tallying of faces of voters, especially burqa-clad women, must be ensured with respective EPIC cards so that only genuine voters get to exercise their franchise," he said.
Jaiswal said his party had also urged the EC to ensure adequate deployment of CAPF (Central Armed Police Force) in areas vulnerable to booth capturing and intimidation of voters.
"We have also requested that paramilitary forces be deployed in villages with a heavy population of weaker sections like extremely backward classes a few days in advance, and a flag march-like exercise be conducted to instil confidence among the voters," he added.
Why Oppn wants two phases
From the Opposition camp, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), CPI-ML (Liberation) and other Left parties laid stress on holding the polls in two phases even as they sought information from ECI about the 3.66 lakh voters, whose names were deleted from the final updated electoral rolls published on September 30 after the Special Intensive Revision ( SIR).
"We have suggested the election should be done in two phases. Besides, we have raised the issue about the deletion of 3.66 lakh voters from the final updated rolls, whether those deleted have been given the opportunity of two appeals and why they were not given a written order as the final rolls would be freezed once the dates of the polls are announced," said Chittaranjan Gagan, state spokesperson who was part of the three member RJD delegation that met the ECI. RJD MP Abhay Kushwaha and Mukund Singh were the other members of the team.
Gagan said the RJD had also sought district-wise information of those who have been categorised as 'not an Indian citizen' so that parties can know how many foreign nationals are staying in various parts of the state.
"We have also suggested that a large number of voters of one family have been put in different booths as per rationalisation of booths. This should be corrected. Besides, we have suggested that video recording of entire counting of postal ballots be done and strict action be taken against those officials found acting in a biased manner, and also look into transfers of officers being done ahead of the polls," the RJD leader said.
Congress leaders, including state president Rajesh Kumar, Shakeel Ahmad Khan and others, who met the ECI team, demanded that the list of names added in the SIR final draft should be made public and also make public the number of voters found to be illegal immigrants in the state.
"The final updated rolls continue to have many anomalies. There are a lot of discrepancies in the addition of names. We want the list of names of voters added and deleted in the final list, and also how many voters were found to be illegal immigrants. We have also asked ECI to give soft copies of the final updated rolls," said Khan, who is the Congress legislature party leader in the state assembly.
CPI(ML) leaders, including Pervej, said ECI had been urged to make separate booths for Muslims, Dalits and weaker sections and also ensure that Form 17 C (which records the voter turnout in every polling station) is made available to every polling agent of parties.
Commission's suggestions to parties
Meanwhile, the poll officials said that the full team of ECI during their interaction with political party representatives had sought their active participation at all levels for the conduct of free, fair and peaceful polls. The state’s chief electoral officer Vinod Singh Gunjiyal along with other senior state election officers were also present in the meeting.
Officials said ECI had also exhorted the political parties to maintain harmony during the elections and ensure that voters get high respect, besides apprising the parties about the steps being taken for better transparency in the conduct of polls like provisions of Form 17 C and postal ballot.
Officials said the parties had also asked ECI to conduct polls in fewer phases and also appreciated the move to restrict the number of voters per polling station to 1,200.
The parties, which had interactions with ECI, included the BJP, JD(U), Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), RJD, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Congress, CPI(M), National People's Party, CPI-ML (Liberation), Rashtriya Lok Janshakti Party and Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas).