NDA urges Election Commission to hold Bihar assembly polls in single phase

Patna: The BJP-JD(U)-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) has suggested to the Election Commission of India (ECI) that the upcoming assembly elections in Bihar be conducted in a single phase. Several other parties have also advocated that the polls should not be stretched beyond two phases. After attending a meeting convened by the ECI, headed by Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar in Patna, JD(U) state president Umesh Kushwaha said, Our party has suggested that the assembly elections should be held in single phase. Kushwaha added that his party has urged the ECI to announce the election schedule soon after the Chhath festival so that voters coming from outside the state could cast their votes. A number of voters come to the state during Chhath festival, he said. BJP state president Dilip Jaiswal said that his party has recommended holding the election in one or two phases. Our party has suggested that the officials must identify women turning up at polling booths in burqa, he added. The BJP also demanded that the ECI direct central para-armed police forces to conduct flag marches in villages inhabited by Dalits, Extremely Backward Classes (EBCs) and Other Backward Classes (OBCs) to instil a sense of confidence among voters. In addition, the BJP demanded patrolling in Diara land (riverine belt) by Mounted Military Police (MMP) personnel to prevent the possibility of booth capturing. These demands were placed during a meeting between a BJP delegation, led by Jaiswal, and the visiting ECI team. Former union minister Pashupati Kumar Paras-led Rashtriya Lok Janshakti Party (RLJP) also advocated a single-phase election. RLJP leader Pramod Kumar told the media that though his party has suggested a single phase, the process could be extended to not more than two phases. The RLJP further raised concerns over the states law and order situation. As the law and order is a big issue, the law enforcing agencies must be asked to tighten the noose around troublemakers before the election, an RLJP leader said. Union minister Chirag Paswans Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) also suggested that the elections be held in no more than two phases. Similarly, the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) demanded that announcements to woo the electorate during the election must be stopped. BSP leader Suresh Rao said that his party has also suggested relaxation in the publication of criminal records of candidates facing charges in newspapers. It becomes expensive for the poor candidates to publish criminal records in three different newspapers, he added. Earlier, a three-member ECI team headed by Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar arrived in the state capital to review preparedness for the assembly elections. The visiting team held meetings with different political parties and gathered feedback from their representatives. The ECI team included Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi, along with Bihars Chief Electoral Officer Vinod Gunjiyal. They met representatives of all recognised national and state political parties, including BJP, JD(U), RJD, Congress and others, to discuss election-related issues and gather feedback.