“Covid-19 patients, who are quarantined will be able to cast their vote in the last hour of polling, at their respective polling stations, under the supervision of health authorities
KRC TIMES Desk
The upcoming Bihar election will be the country’s first full-fledged election post-COVID-19 pandemic. Election Commission of India declared on Friday that polling for the 243 Assembly seats in Bihar will take place in 3 phases between October 28 and November 7 this year. Counting of votes will take place on November 10.
With the prevailing coronavirus pandemic in the country, in this COVID-era election, it is decided that the polling time be increased by one hour.
“Elections entail large scale deployment of security forces. We have tried to minimise their movement over long distances,” Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora said. According to him the considering the pandemic and its possible effect on the security forces on duty election in more phases is avoided.
In view of the pandemic, the CEC also announced a number of new measures. Arora said, “Now nominations can be done online and offline also. Quarantined patients can vote at the end.” “Covid-19 patients, who are quarantined will be able to cast their vote in the last hour of polling, at their respective polling stations, under the supervision of health authorities. This is beside the option of the postal facility already extended to them,” EC panel informed.
The Commission has limited the number of persons, including candidates for the door to door campaigning to five. Public meetings and roadshows will be allowed subject to containment guideline of Home Ministry and/or State.
“Face masks, sanitizer, thermal scanners, gloves, face shield and PPE kits shall be used during the electoral process ensuring social distancing norms. Hand gloves shall be provided to all the electors for signing on the voter registers and pressing buttons of EVM for voting,” informed EC
The CEC said the poll panel has also revised norms for the number of persons accompanying the candidate and the number of vehicles at the time of nomination. “It has also created an optional facility to fill the nomination form and the affidavit online and submission of the same, after taking a print, before the Returning Officer concerned. For the first time, the candidates will have the option to deposit the security amount for contesting the elections online,” the poll panel said.
“The Bihar elections will be held in three phases. Elections for the 1st phase will take place on October 28 on 71 Assembly constituencies, elections for 2nd phase on 94 seats will take place on November 3 and 3rd phase poll on 78 Assembly seats on November 7,” the CEC announced.
The last date of nomination for phase 1 will be October 8 and the last date of withdrawal of candidature is October 12. For phase 2, the last date of nomination has been fixed as October 16, while the last date of withdrawal of nomination is October 19. For phase 3, the last date of nomination is October 20 and the last date of withdrawal of candidature October 23.
With the announcement, the model code of conduct has also come into play.
