Virus fear puts a halt on political activities in poll-bound Bihar

The build-up for assembly elections that had started taking off the ground has been abruptly punctured by novel coronavirus.

The build-up for assembly elections that had started taking off the ground has been abruptly punctured by novel coronavirus.

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The political parties of different hues have cancelled several planned events taking steam out of the frenzy that was gradually building up. The parties are taking precaution, apprehending that large-scale gatherings might infect the party workers besides their leaders.

Bharatiya Janata Party

The BJP had planned a three-day training camp for the state party leaders at Rajgir from March 20-22. The programme has been postponed, owing to the advisory issued by the government. The party has even cancelled a district-level workshop to train the party workers.

Communist Party of India

The CPI has cancelled the country-wide agitation of all the Left parties that was to be organised on March 23 to protest the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA), National Register of Citizens (NRC) and National Population Register (NPR).

State secretary Sat Narayan Singh said that the party’s plan to gherao the Union government over CAA, NRC and NPR had suffered a setback because of government’s advisory on coronavirus.

“We are holding a three-day meeting of party leaders here from March 24, in which party’s general secretary D Raja, besides other leaders, including Nagendra Nath Ojha and Kanhaiya Kumar are coming. In the meeting we will decide party’s course of action in light of impending Bihar’s assembly election,” he said.

CPI (ML)

The CPI (ML) has postponed the ‘jan ekta, jan adhikar’ rally that was planned from March 23 to April 14, because of the coronavirus advisory of the government. Party’s state secretary Kunal said that the party has postponed the rally till March 31, instead it would reach out to people in Bihar villages to make them aware of the coronavirus.

Lok Janshakti Party

Blame it on coronafear, the LJP has postponed the ‘Bihar First, Bihari First’ rally that it had planned at Patna’s Gandhi Maidan on April 14. LJP chief Chirag Paswan, who had set out on a state-wide tour, has returned to the state capital.

Rashtriya Janata Dal

RJD has cancelled the two-day training camp for the party workers that was scheduled from March 14. The party took the call after the state government ordered closure of schools and other educational institutions. RJD spokesperson Mritunjay Tiwari said the party would decide next programme after March 31.