New Delhi: The Election Commission on Wednesday announced the dates for the high-stakes Assembly elections in Bihar.
Addressing a press conference in the national capital, Chief Election Commissioner Nasim Zaidi said polls for the 243-seat Assembly will be held in five phases starting October – Phase 1: October 12; Phase 2: October 16; Phase 3: October 28; Phase 4: November 1 and Phase 5: November 5.
He also said that voting will be done for 49 seats in phase 1, 32 in 2nd, 50 in 3rd, 55 in 4th and 57 in 5th phase. Election will be completed by November 12.
Noting that a number of important festivals like Dussehra, Eid, Muharram, Diwali and Chhath will fall in the election period, Zaidi said the Commission will ensure communal harmony and peace.
Flanked by Election Commissioners Achal Kumar Jyoti and Om Prakash Rawat, Zaidi said more than adequate security arrangements have been made by the election body to ensure peaceful, free and fair polls in state where over 47 constituencies are hit by Naxal violence.
There are over 6.68 crore voters in the state. BJP-led NDA and the grand alliance of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, his foe-turned-friend Lalu Prasad and Congress are locked in a close fight with the election results likely to have a strong bearing on the national political scene.
The polls have been billed as a must-win for BJP if it is to restore the political momentum in favour of Narendra Modi government after suffering reverses over a host of issues, starting from its rout in Delhi Assembly polls and failure to push ahead with reforms like land bill and GST.
The Bihar Assembly elections are being seen as a battle primarily between Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
While Nitish’s Janata Dal-United (JDU) is contesting is contesting the election in alliance with the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and the Congress, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has sided with smaller parties like the Lok Janshakti Party (LJP), the Rashtriya Lok Samata Party (RSLP) and the Hindustan Awam Morcha (HAM).
In the run to the polls, several top leaders, including Nitish Kumar, Narendra Modi, RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav, HAM’s Jitan Ram Manjhi, have indulged in bitter war of words. While PM Modi questioned the “DNA” of the Bihar Chief Minister, the JDU leader hit back calling it an attack on the pride of Bihar.
Important Dates
1st Phase: Date of notification: September 16 (Wednesday). Last date of notification: September 21 (Wednesday). Date of scrutiny: September 24. Last date of withdrawal: September 26. Date of polling: October 12, 2015. Voting in phase 1 will be held in 49
2nd Phase: Date of notification: September 21 (Monday); Last date of notification: September 28 (Monday); Date of scrutiny: September 29; Last date of withdrawal: October 1; Date of polling: October 16, 2015 (Friday); Last date of notification: October 8; Date of scrutiny: October 9; Last date of withdrawal: October 12; Date of polling: October 28, 2015. Phase 2 has 32 seats including Kaimur (Bhabhua), Arwai, Jahanabad, Aurangabad and Gaya
3rd Phase: Date of notification: Oct 8; Last date of notification: October 15; Date of scrutiny: October 17; Last date of withdrawal: October 19; Date of polling: October 28, 2015 – November 5 (Thursday). Phase 3 has 50 seats including Saran, Vaishali, Nalanda, Patna, Bhojpur, Buxar.
4th Phase: Last date of notification: October 14; Date of scrutiny: October 15; Last date of withdrawal: October 17; Date of polling: October 28, 2015 – November 1 (Sunday). Phase 4 has 55 seats including Pashchim Champaran, Poorvi Champaran, Sheohar, Sitamarhi, Muzaffarpur, Gopalganj, Siwan.
5th Phase: Last date of notification: October 15; Date of scrutiny: October 17; Last date of withdrawal: October 19; Date of polling: October 28, 2015 – November 5 (Thursday). Phase 5 will have 57 seats including Madhubani, Supaul, Araria, Kishanganj, Purnea, Katihar, Madhepura, Saharsa and Darbhanga.
(With inputs from PTI)