Bihar assembly election 2020: In first phase 71 seats go to polls. All you need to know
1 min read 28 Oct 2020, 06:10 AM ISTBihar election 2020: Over 2 crores people will vote and will decide the fate of 1,066 candidatesThe first phase of elections will decide the fate of a number of political heavyweights
PremiumThe first phase of Bihar assembly election will be held today. The fate of a number of political heavyweights will be sealed by the voters today. The election will be the first in amid the coronavirus pandemic hat has posed new challenges for the participants in the electoral process. A total of 71 assembly constituencies spread over 16 districts will go to polls today. Over 2 crores people will vote and will decide the fate of 1,066 candidates.
Here are 5 things to know about the high voltage Bihar polls:
1) The first phase of elections will decide the fate of a number of political heavyweights. These include, apart from former .chief minister Jitan Ram Manjhi, eight ministers: Prem Kumar, Krishnadan Verma,Shailesh Kumar, Vijay Kumar Sinha, Jai Kumar Singh. Ramnarayan Mandal, Santosh Kumar Nirala and Brij Kishore Bind.
2) Guidelines have been issued by the Election Commission of India for the safe conduct of the Bihar Assembly Election 2020, including lowering the cap on the maximum number of voters for a polling booth from 1,600 to 1,000, staggering of polling hours and postal ballot facility for those aged above 80. Sanitisation of electronic voting machines, wearing of masks and other protective gear by polling personnel and availability of thermal scanner, hand sanitiser, soap and water will also have to be ensured by authorities.
3) The polls is seen as a keen contest in which the RJD-led opposition alliance is making a determined bid to unseat the ruling NDA government led by Nitish Kumar. The elections have also seen the emergence of a third front with RLSP leader Upendra Kushwaha as the chief ministerial candidate. LJP is fighting the polls outside the NDA and has put up candidates against JD-U.
4) Elections to 243-seat Bihar assembly are being held in three phases. The polling for the other two phases will be held on November 3, and 7 and the counting of votes will take place on November 10.
5) In NDA, JD-U is contesting 115 seats, BJP 110, Vikassheel Insaan Party 11 seats and Jitan Ram Manjhi's Hindustani Awam Morcha seven seats of the total 243 seats in the state. In the Mahagathbandhan (grand alliance), which has Tejashwi Yadav as its chief ministerial candidate, RJD is contesting 144 seats, Congress 70, CPI-ML 19, CPI six and CPI-M four.
