Ready for Bihar polls, say parties as EC sets ball rolling

PATNA: Major political parties in the state said they would go to polls if the Election Commission of India (ECI) finds the situation in Bihar conducive for holding assembly elections as per schedule in October-November this year.

Chief election commissioner (CEC) Sunil Arora had told a news channel on Monday that the Bihar assembly elections would be held on time.

“The ECI has said it would hold Bihar elections on time with all precautions in view of Covid-19 pandemic. It’s up to the ECI how to devise ways to ensure social distancing and other precautions,” JD(U) spokesperson Rajiv Ranjan Prasad said.

Taking a dig at RJD, Prasad said, “The RJD knows that it has not worked for the people and its defeat appears imminent. That’s why the party is resorting to all kinds of tactics to defer the elections. However, it will not succeed in its game plan.”

The BJP has also welcomed the CEC’s statement. Party spokesperson Nikhil Anand said, “The BJP is ready to contest the election whenever it’s held. It’s the prerogative of the ECI to decide when and how the election will be held.”He added, “Whether to hold an election or postpone it falls under the ambit of the ECI. Political parties may only apprise the commission of their views and give suggestions on the issue.” The ECI had earlier sought opinion from the main political parties on the mode of election and campaigning by August 11, which lapsed on Tuesday.

On the other hand, other political parties, including RJD and LJP, had earlier urged the poll panel to postpone the elections in the state in the wake of rising cases of Covid-19. The Left parties had also corroborated the demand of the RJD and its alliance partners.

LJP chief and Jamui MP Chirag Paswan told this newspaper on Tuesday that though as a responsible political party, it urged the ECI to defer the election, it is ready to face polls. “As an ally of the NDA, we have made poll preparations on all the 243 assembly seats,” he added. State Congress president Madan Mohan Jha on Tuesday wrote to ECI, urging it to defer the elections as the state is caught in a quagmire of Covid-19 pandemic and floods. Describing elections as ‘gantantra ka mahaparv’, Jha said the current situation in the state was not favourable for polls.

RJD spokesperson Mritunjay Tiwari said, “The JD(U) and BJP have been holding virtual rallies across the state for the last two months. They should be stopped from holding virtual public meetings as it doesn’t provide a level-playing field to other political parties with limited resources.”

Tiwari added, “If the state machinery is engaged in the elections, how will the state fight the Covid-19 pandemic? I think it’s not proper to conduct polls in the state by putting the lives of lakhs of people at stake.”

On Tuesday, RJD leader Tejashwi Prasad Yadav held a meeting with spokespersons of the party and discussed the strategy to attack the present dispensation in the state. Other smaller parties like HAM(S), RLSP, VIP and CPI-ML (Liberation) had earlier written to the CEC, demanding postponement of the elections. “With the CEC making it clear that the elections will be held as per schedule, we have no option but to start preparations,” a VIP functionary said.

The term of the present assembly will come to an end on November 29.