In Bihar, the full bench of the Election Commission, headed by Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, held its first meeting this morning with representatives of 12 recognized political parties to review the preparations for the Assembly elections. During the meeting, various parties presented their views on several key issues before the Commission.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Janata Dal (United) demanded that the elections be conducted in the minimum number of phases.
Janata Dal (United) National Executive President Sanjay Jha said that polling in the state could be conducted in a single phase since there are no major law and order issues. The party also expressed gratitude to the Election Commission for successfully conducting the Special Summary Revision drive.
Meanwhile, the Congress and the Rashtriya Janata Dal objected to the deletion of 3.66 lakh names from the voters’ list during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process.
In the second session, the Election Commission team held a marathon meeting with administrative and police officials. The meeting discussed law and order arrangements for the elections.
Divisional Commissioners, Inspectors General (IGs), Deputy Inspectors General (DIGs), District Magistrates, and Superintendents of Police from all 38 districts participated in the meeting. The Commission reviewed the status of election preparedness with District Election Officers.
Tomorrow, on the second and final day of its Bihar visit, the Commission will meet officials from the Income Tax Department, Enforcement Directorate (ED), banks, railways, airports, and narcotics control bureau, among other enforcement agencies.
The Commission will also hold a review meeting with nodal officers of central and state police forces, the Director General of Police, the Chief Secretary, and other senior officials to assess election preparations. The Election Commission team will also hold a Press Conference to brief the media about the outcome of the meetings held during the visit.
