Patna: Chief election commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh held a detailed review of poll preparedness for the forthcoming Bihar assembly elections in Patna on Friday. The two-day visit began with an interaction between the Commission and representatives of all recognized national and state political parties.
Leaders from the AAP, BSP, BJP, CPM, Congress, NPP, CPI(M-L), JD(U), LJP (Ram Vilas), RJD and RLJP attended the meeting and shared their suggestions with the Election Commission.
CEC Gyanesh Kumar described political parties as “significant stakeholders in a strong democracy” and urged them to participate actively at every stage of the election process by appointing polling and counting agents. The Commission encouraged all parties to celebrate elections in a “festive spirit” along with the electorate.
The parties expressed appreciation about the Commission’s conduct of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise. Several parties suggested that polling be scheduled immediately after the Chhath festival to ensure maximum voter participation. They also recommended that the elections be conducted in as few phases as possible.
The representatives particularly lauded the measures taken recently by the Election Commission, including capping the number of voters per polling station at 1,200, completing the counting of postal ballots before the penultimate round of EVM counting, and ensuring that Form 17C is handed over by presiding officers to party agents before leaving the polling station.
Following the meeting with the parties, the Election Commission held an extensive review session with senior officials, including commissioners, IGs, DIGs, district election officers (DEOs), senior superintendents of police (SSPs) and superintendents of police (SPs). The discussions covered all aspects of election management, including logistics, polling station rationalisation, EVM handling, staff training, law and order, seizure monitoring, and voter awareness campaigns.
The Commission instructed officials to act with complete impartiality and to ensure swift resolution of complaints and grievances raised by political parties. It also directed DEOs and SPs to closely monitor social media platforms for fake news and take prompt legal action wherever necessary.
The two-day review is part of the Election Commission’s ongoing efforts to ensure free, fair, and transparent elections in Bihar.