State EC's green signal to local body elections in Bihar

PATNA: The state election commission (SEC) issued a notification on Friday for holding local body bypolls on 21 vacant posts in 12 districts of Bihar.

This will be the first election to be held in the state amid the Covid-19 pandemic. Hence, the SEC has made it clear that prescribed physical social distancing norms have to be followed at the polling booths.

According to the SEC notification, the bypoll will be held in Saran, Lakhisarai, Rohtas, Bhagalpur, Buxar, Sitamarhi, East Champaran, West Champaran, Madhepura, Darbhanga, Vaishali and Kaimur districts on August 26, while the election for uppramukh of Dighwara panchayat samiti in Saran and upmukhiya of Kharhana panchayat in Kaimur will be conducted on August 27.

The electors will exercise their franchise to elect the vice-chairman of zila parishad, pramukh, uppramukh, upmukhiya, sarpanch and upsarpanch in the districts concerned. The SEC has asked all the returning officers of the districts to provide information to the elected representatives about the bypolls by August 18.

The SEC has also issued directives to the home and the health departments to make proper security arrangements and ensure that the Covid-19 lockdown norms are followed strictly.

An officer posted at the SEC said the election would also be held to elect vice-chairperson of the zila parishad of Saran district.

Earlier, the PACS election in the state was postponed in the wake of floods.

With the SEC’s nod to bypolls on 21 vacant posts of the local bodies, political analysts are of the view that the state assembly polls will also be conducted on schedule.

The election commission has already started the process of the first phase of checking electronic voting machines and voter-verified paper audit trails for the forthcoming assembly polls scheduled to be held in October-November. Chief minister Nitish Kumar recently gave indications that the notification about the assembly polls may be issued in September.

“If the bypolls for the local bodies can be held amid the pandemic, why not the assembly elections?” asked a senior IAS officer, considered close to the powers that be. He, however, said the ECI would take a final call on the dates and timing of the polls.

Keeping this in mind, even political parties, which have demanded to defer the assembly polls, have started preparations for the election.