Plea in SC seeks postponement of Bihar polls due to Covid-19, flood

A plea has been filed in SC seeking a direction to the Election Commission to postpone assembly elections scheduled in October and November in Bihar due to Covid-19 and worsening flood situation

A plea has been filed in the Supreme Court seeking a direction to the Election Commission to postpone assembly elections scheduled in October and November in Bihar due to COVID-19 pandemic and worsening flood situation.

The top court on August 28 had junked a similar PIL seeking postponement of the assembly polls in the state till it is free from the novel coronavirus, saying that it cannot be a ground and moreover, the Election Commission will consider everything before taking any decision

The fresh plea has been filed by one Rastravadi Janta Party, a registered political party through its President Anil Bharati and has sought a direction to the poll panel "to postpone the Bihar Legislative Assembly Election which is scheduled to be held in the month of October- November".

It has also sought a direction that the election be held "sometime in the month of March, 2021 as the spread of corona virus pandemic is still in peak in all over India and further at present time, the state is also undergoing flood situation".

The plea said India has "almost become the epicentre" of the pandemic and moreover, Bihar has also been suffering from unprecedented flood rendering millions homeless.

Besides poll panel, the plea has made Union Home Ministry, state government and state poll panel as parties to the petition.

It said that a representation for postponement of the upcoming polls was made to the poll panel on June 30 by the party and till date, no decision has been taken on it.