Jan Adhikar Party (Loktantrik) leader and four-time MP Rajesh Ranjan, alias Pappu Yadav, has demanded that the upcoming Bihar Assembly elections be deferred in view of the rising COVID-19 positive cases in the State.
“I will even approach the Supreme Court for this,” Mr. Yadav said addressing the party’s executive committee meeting in Patna on Wednesday.
Assembly polls in Bihar are due in October-November this year.
A lawyer, Badri Narayan Singh, too has filed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) petition in the Patna High Court demanding postponement of Assembly elections due to the rising COVID-19 cases.
On Thursday, leader of the Opposition in State Assembly Tejashwi Yadav attacked Chief Minister Nitish Kumar for his failure to contain the COVID-19 pandemic in the State. “Nitish Kumar Ji slept in his comfy bungalow for 100 days, did nothing in 4 months of the initial lockdowns & now fragmented lockdowns are being announced in several districts, which is a testimony to the fact that he has failed to contain the virus. I challenge the CM to speak on the steps he has taken to contain the spread of the virus. As I had said earlier, he expected the fire to douse on its own, which only aggravated the situation. Stop playing with people’s lives. Wake up Nitish Ji and have a comprehensive plan. TEST, ISOLATE, TREAT on a war footing,” he tweeted.
Meanwhile, the State NDA leaders said Mr. Tejashwi Yadav and his party RJD fear defeat in the Assembly poll. “The statement of Tejashwi Yadav indicates disappointment and depression in his party,” said BJP leader and party spokesperson Nikhil Anand.
JD(U) leaders said conducting election was the prerogative of the Election Commission. “But some Opposition party leaders appear to be afraid of a defeat in the upcoming Assembly poll…they have sensed the mood of the people in favour of NDA,” party spokesperson and Minister Neeraj Kumar said.
Bihar Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) H.R. Srinivasa, however, said the Commission is preparing for conducting elections and suggestion to delay or postpone elections had been forwarded to the Election Commission of India. “The VVPATS and electronic voting machines have already reached all the districts and training of returning officers began on Thursday…we’re doing everything as per schedule, but it is the Election Commission of India that has to take a call on deferment,” he said.
