EC likely to announce Bihar assembly poll dates today
September 09, 2015 10:11
The Election Commission is likely to announce the dates for Bihar assembly polls today.
Insiders indicate that the Bihar polls may be held in five or six phases and is likely to be held from the third week of October to the first week of November.
There are eight festivals on different dates during this period, which will have an impact on the polling dates or the counting day.
Therefore, adjustments of possible poll dates will be done with the assistance of all political parties since religion and caste sentiments are important when polling dates are decided.
All political parties in Bihar have demanded CRPF, CISF and BSF forces for the polls. At least 85 to 100 assembly segments are categorised as left-wing extremist areas and securing these segments is priority on the agenda.
After ruling the state for ten years, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar is seeking a third term this time in alliance with Rashtriya Janata Dal and Congress after he walked out of NDA in June, 2013 snapping 17-year-old ties with the Bharatiya Janata Party.
The BJP, which had almost swept the state in the Lok Sabha polls in alliance with Ram Vilas Paswan's Lok Janshakti Party and Upendra Kushwaha's Rashtriya Lok Samata Party, is hoping to repeat its performance and slamming Kumar for aligning with Lalu Prasad, a convict in fodder scam case.
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