Keeping in mind the Covid-19 outbreak, the Election Commission also announced various SOPs which shall be strictly followed to reduce the risk of transmission of the virus. The poll body said that due to Covid-19, polling time has been increased by 1 hour. Electorates will be able to cast their votes between 7 am to 6 pm.
EC also said that only 1,000 voters allowed to cast vote at a polling booth in the state. 7 lakh santizers, 46 lakh face masks and 6 lakh face shields have also been arranged for the elections.
Bihar is the first state of the country to go for Assembly polls ever since the beginning of the novel coronavirus pandemic.
The poll body also stated that not more than 2 vehicles to be used by the candidate while on his/her way to file nomination. For candidates, the Election Commission said that it will be mandatory to adhere to social distancing norms while campaigning.
Even door-to-door campaigning have been restricted by the poll commission. It also said that electorates who are Covid-19 positive will vote in the last hour of polling.
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The elections are likely to be held in mid-October, in more than one phase due to the Covid-19 precautions. Bihar has to elect a new 243-member assembly as its current tenure ends on November 29.
The Election Commission is also working on a mobile application to allow candidates to file nominations and also pay their security deposit online, according to reports.
This will be the first time that candidates will be allowed to file their nominations online, a move that has been fast-tracked owing to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Along with the assembly elections, the poll body has also decided to conduct several pending by-elections to fill vacancies in various assemblies along with one in Lok Sabha. The by-polls were put on hold due to the sudden outbreak of Coronavirus and flood in various parts of the country.
It is touted to be a high voltage two-way battle in Bihar as the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA), under the leadership of Janata Dal-United (JDU) chief Nitish Kumar is pitched against the Mahagathbandhan of the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and the Congress.