Hold Bihar Assembly polls soon after Chhat in minimal phases: Parties urge EC

Political parties in poll-bound Bihar told the Election Commission on Saturday to hold Assembly elections soon after the Chhat festival to ensure increased voter participation.

Chhat, an important festival in Bihar that is celebrated six days after Diwali, will fall on October 25-28 this year.

In an interaction with Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and Election Commissioners SS Sandhu and Vivek Joshi, representatives of six national and as many state parties also pressed for holding elections in a minimal number of phases, officials said.

The poll authority is in Patna for two days to take stock of poll preparedness in the state. The term of the 243-member Bihar Assembly ends on November 22.

The first phase of elections is likely to be held at the end of October, soon after Chhat.

During Diwali and Chhat, people employed outside Bihar return home for festivities, and it is believed that it is the best time to hold polls to ensure greater voter participation.

In 2020, the last Assembly polls in the state were held in three phases under the shadow of the Covid-19 pandemic.