Patna, Oct 4 (NationPress) The Election Commission of India (ECI) convened an important meeting with 12 recognized political parties in Patna on Saturday, ahead of the upcoming Bihar Assembly elections. The session was led by Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, who assured that all recommendations from the parties would be taken into account before the election schedule is finalized. The ruling JD(U) advocated for the Assembly polls to occur in a single phase.

After the meeting, JD(U) working president Sanjay Jha spoke to the press and reiterated the party's call for a one-phase election. “We appreciate the Commission for effectively executing the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the voter list. We have requested that the Bihar elections be conducted in one phase. Law and order and Naxalism are no longer substantial issues in Bihar. If Maharashtra can manage a single-phase election, why not Bihar? We recommend deploying paramilitary forces at all polling stations to ensure that voters, particularly the underprivileged, can cast their votes without issues,” Jha stated.

Jha further suggested that election dates should be chosen to accommodate the Chhath festival, allowing those returning home for the celebration the opportunity to vote.

Conversely, RJD’s Aurangabad MP Abhay Kushwaha and the party’s election convener Chitranjan Gagan, who represented RJD at the meeting, proposed that the polling process be conducted in two phases.

“We have urged the CEC to publish data concerning the 3.64 lakh voters whose names were deleted during the SIR process. We also called for comprehensive security measures in villages inhabited by Dalits, Mahadalits, and other backward castes, ensuring that these communities can vote freely, as they have faced obstacles in the past,” Kushwaha remarked.

In response to the BJP’s request for women in burqas to be verified by female officers, Kushwaha commented: “A new voter list with photographs has already been released following the SIR. If the BJP insists on such demands, it’s merely political maneuvering.”

The ECI’s discussions signify a vital step in finalizing preparations for the highly significant Bihar elections.

Political analysts believe the Commission is poised to announce the election dates soon, with voting expected to occur in multiple phases throughout the state.