The Election Commission announced the dates for the high-stakes Assembly elections in Bihar today.
Speaking about this, Chief Election Commissioner Nasim Zaidi announced the dates for the polls for the 243-member Assembly.
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 seats.
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)
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
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: November 1
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: November 5
Phase 5 will have 57 seats including Madhubani, Supaul, Araria, Kishanganj, Purnea, Katihar, Madhepura, Saharsa and Darbhanga.
Arrangements for Bihar elections
All the polling booths will be guarded by the Central paramilitary forces.
Nine agencies will take up the activities of controlling the mal practices during the elections like, distributing the money, liquor etc.
The check the deposition of arms, various committees would be held under the district magistrates. The current assembly term expires on 29th November.
Confidence building measures will be majorly focused and adequate arrangements would be made for the central paramilitary forces.
Totally there are 6.68 crores of voters in Bihar and all are assured with the proper safety precautions at the polling centre.
Bihar elections is a battle between Modi and Nitish
The Bihar Assembly elections are considered as a tough battle between Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Nitish Kumar’s Janata Dal-United (JDU) is contesting in the elections, in alliance with the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and the Congress and the BJP has sided with smaller parties like the Lok Janshakti Party (LJP), the Rashtriya Lok Samata Party (RSLP) and the Hindustan Awam Morcha (HAM).
The alliance of JDU-RJD-Congress is already finalized, but the NDA alliance with the local parties is yet to be announced officially.
A war of words has been held for the quite some time, among all the top leaders like Nitish Kumar, Narendra Modi, RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav, HAM’s Jitan Ram Manjhi etc.
Meanwhile, JDU has also kickstarted a ‘Jumla Babu’ campaign to bust against Modi, for leaving away the promises he made before the 2014 elections.
By Phani Ch
