PATNA: Ahead of the Bihar Assembly elections, the state units of the BJP and its principal rival, the RJD, presented their demands and concerns to a visiting Election Commission (EC) team, led by Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. The meetings, held on Saturday, revealed a rare point of agreement but sparked a sharp political controversy.
Agreement on Non-Staggered Polling
Both the BJP and the RJD, along with smaller parties like Union Minister Chirag Paswan’s LJP (Ram Vilas) and CPI(ML) Liberation, were on the same page regarding the election schedule:
BJP’s Demand: State President Dilip Jaiswal urged the EC to conduct the elections in “one or two phases,” arguing that the process “need not be staggered.” He also requested that polling begin around November 3-4, following the mandatory 28-day gap from the date of announcement.
RJD’s Demand: RJD delegation head Abhay Kushwaha disclosed that his party, too, urged the EC to hold the polls in “not more than two phases,” citing the limited time remaining for the expiry of the current assembly’s term.
RJD on Festive Season: The RJD also requested that the polls be held after Chhath, the state’s popular festival which falls at the end of October.
Controversy Over Veiled Voters
The consensus broke immediately over the BJP’s other key demand, which the RJD swiftly labeled a “political conspiracy.”
BJP’s Demand for Verification: Jaiswal urged the EC to “ensure that women in burqas are properly verified against their voter ID photographs” (EPIC cards) to guarantee that “only genuine voters get to exercise their franchise.”
RJD’s Rebuttal: Abhay Kushwaha snapped back, calling the issue a “political conspiracy.” He argued that identification is “no big deal” as the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls has just concluded, and new EPIC cards with fresh photographs are set to be issued. He accused the BJP of trying to “push its own agenda.”
Security and Electoral Roll Concerns
Both major parties also raised concerns over voter intimidation and electoral transparency:
Protecting Weaker Sections: Both the BJP and RJD acknowledged the existence of villages with a sizeable population of weaker sections who are “intimidated” during polls.
BJP’s Solution: Jaiswal sought the deployment of paramilitary forces in these vulnerable villages a few days in advance to conduct a “flag march-like exercise.” He also suggested deploying cavalry in riverine areas with a history of booth capturing.
RJD’s Solution: Kushwaha requested the EC to identify all sensitive booths at the earliest and share the list with the party to enable them to prevent intimidation.
Form 17C and SIR Deletions:
The EC suggested that polling agents must ensure they obtain Form 17C (which records the votes polled at a booth) upon completion of voting to prevent unnecessary post-poll disputes.
The RJD agreed but asserted that printouts of the computerised Form 17C must be provided to all candidates.
The RJD also urged the EC to divulge details of the 3.66 lakh persons whose names were deleted from the final electoral roll, expressing apprehensions that the SIR process may have been carried out to “help” the BJP-led NDA.
The RJD delegation concluded by also requesting the EC to restrain the state government from making “populist announcements without any budgetary allocation” and to check personal attacks during the campaign.
Bihar Assembly Polls: BJP And RJD Clash Over Verification Of Burqa-Clad Voters
