EC to meet political parties in Patna today ahead of Bihar polls

In a significant move to ensure smooth conduct of the upcoming Bihar assembly elections, the Election Commission of India (ECI) will convene a key meeting with representatives of political parties in Patna on Saturday, 4 October.

Scheduled from 10:00 am to 12:00 pm at the Taj Hotel, the session will review election preparedness and gather feedback from stakeholders. Chief election commissioner Gyanesh Kumar will chair the meeting, joined by election commissioners Dr. Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Dr. Vivek Joshi.

A maximum of three representatives from each party have been invited, including leaders from the BJP, JD(U), RJD, Congress, Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas), Rashtriya Lok Janshakti Party, RLSP, BSP, AAP, CPI(M), CPI(ML) Liberation, and the National People’s Party.

Discussions will focus on logistics, voter accessibility, the Model Code of Conduct, and other electoral procedures, with parties given the opportunity to raise suggestions and concerns.

On Sunday, the EC will meet with district magistrates, superintendents of police, and election officials to review ground-level preparations, law enforcement measures, and steps to curb electoral malpractices while ensuring transparency.

Ahead of its Bihar visit, the Commission conducted a detailed briefing in New Delhi on Friday at the India International Institute of Democracy and Election Management (IIIDEM) for over 400 central observers, who will monitor elections in Bihar and other upcoming bypolls nationwide.

While official poll dates have yet to be announced, the final electoral roll published on 30 September lists 7.42 crore voters — a drop of over 47 lakh since June — signaling that the stage is set for a formal notification in the coming weeks.

With IANS inputs