Bihar will witness a five phased election extending from October 12 to November 5 this year to elect 243 members of its legislative Assembly, the Election Commission announced on Wednesday. The term of the current Bihar legislative Assembly expires on November 29.
Addressing a press conference here, Nasim Zaidi, Chief Election Commission, said polls will be held on October 12, October 16, October 28, November 1 and November 5. "Counting will take place on November 8. The Model Code of Conduct (MCC) comes into immediate effect,” Zaidi announced.
The MCC prevents the Government in a State going to the polls from making any announcements of new projects, programmes, concessions, financial grants in any form and laying of foundation stones which have the effect of influencing voters in favour of a party. 6.6 crore electors are eligible to cast their vote during the forthcoming elections.
The last phase of polling on November 5 will see polling take place in 57 Assembly constituencies, the maximum number of constituencies going to polls on a single day during the five phase election process. The Districts which will go to polls during the fifth phase include Madhubani, Supaul, Araria, Kishanganj, Purnia, Katihar, Madhepura, Saharsa and Darbhanga.
During the fourth phase, polls will be cast in 55 Assembly constituencies in seven districts including Paschim Champaran, Sitamarhi, Muzaffarpur, Gopalganj and Siwan, while in the first phase 49 Assembly constituencies in 10 districts will go to polls, the Commission announced.
On October 28, which marks the third phase of the five phase election process in the state polling will take place in 50 Assembly constituencies, while polling will take place in 32 assembly constituencies during the second phase of elections.
For the first time in the various general elections held in the country, voters in Bihar will have the photographs of candidates displayed on the ballot paper, the Chief Election Commissioner said.
Photos of candidates to be displayed on EVMs
In an attempt to check confusion created by namesakes contesting elections in the same constituency, the Election Commission has decided that photographs of candidates fighting the Bihar Assembly polls will displayed on the Electronic Voting Machines alongside their names and party symbols.
The June 27 bypolls to six seats in five States were the first elections where photographs of candidates were used on ballot papers.
“The Commission has noted that there are many cases where candidates with same or similar names contest from the same constituency. Although appropriate suffixes are added to the names of candidates in the event or two or more candidates having same name, the Commission considers that additional measures are required for removing confusion in the minds of electors at the time of voting,” the EC direction said.
The candidates will now be required to submit their recent photograph, either black and white or coloured, to the election authorities at the time of filing nomination. No uniforms would be allowed and caps and dark glasses have to be avoided, the EC said.
The poll watchdog had recently informed the Supreme Court that it is open to the idea of printing photographs of contesting candidates on ballot papers