COVID-19: Bihar to have auxiliary polling stations to ensure social distancing

New Delhi, Jul 1 () Seeking to ensure social distancing norms are followed amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the Election Commission has decided that Bihar will have more polling stations to avoid crowding.

Auxiliary polling stations will be set up in the same building or premises of the original polling station to spread out voters.

After the outbreak of the coronavirus in India, Bihar will be the first state to have assembly polls. The state has nearly 7.20 crore voters and the term of the 243-member assembly ends on November 29 this year.

The new assembly has to be formed before November 29.

According to the minutes of a meeting, the Bihar Chief Electoral Officer held with major political parties recently, the auxiliary polling stations will have the same serial number as the main polling station, but with a suffix like 'A', 'B' or 'C'.

Bihar currently has 72,000 polling stations.

If the auxiliary polling stations cannot be set up in the same building or premises, it would be set up at a nearby place.

The minutes of the meeting were shared by the Election Commission with CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechury in response to a letter in which he had alleged that the poll panel decided on granting ballot paper facility to people with disabilities and those above 65 years of age without consulting political parties, using its constitutional powers. NAB ANB ANB