Bihar Polls Heat Up, COVID-19 Precautions Tossed Out Of The Window

With every party and candidate escalating their campaign for the Bihar assembly elections, the Election Commission's warning of stern action for violation of Covid-19 protocol has fallen on deaf ears, with people gathering in huge numbers at rallies without wearing masks or caring to abide by social distancing norms.

Of late, several senior leaders including BJP in-charge for Bihar polls Devendra Fadnavis, former union minister and Chapra MP Rajiv Pratap Rudy, his Gaya counterpart Vijay Manjhi, BJP national spokesman Syed Shahnawaz Hussain and former state minister Narendra Singh have fallen victim to the contagion. However, this has not had any salutary effect with crowds being unmanageable at most election rallies.

Strict Covid-19 protocol was maintained at the rallies addressed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Dehri, Gaya and Bhagalpur, and during Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's public meetings at Hisua and Kahalgaon on Friday, but elsewhere the crowds have thrown caution to the wind in their unbridled enthusiasm.

The Election Commission had on October 21, directed Bihar's Chief Electoral Officer and district administrations to "invoke appropriate and relevant penal provisions" under the Disaster Management Act and the Indian Penal Code against candidates found violating its orders.

"Instances of such public meetings have come to notice of the Commission, where large numbers of crowds have assembled in utter violation of social distancing norms and the political leaders/campaigners are addressing the gathering without wearing masks in complete disregard of the guidelines/instructions issued by Election Commission," the poll panel had said.

Candidates and organisers found violating the poll watchdog's instructions could face cases and imprisonment up to two years under the relevant sections of the Disaster Management Act, 2005, and the IPC.

However, many individuals are still observed going to the meetings of top pioneers including Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and the fantastic collusion's boss ecclesiastical applicant Tejashwi Yadav without wearing face veils and pushing and pushing each other for space. 

Extra boss Electoral Officer Sanjay Kumar Singh said justices conveyed at assembly scenes have been told to carefully implement Covid-19 standards, including wearing of covers and keeping up social removing. "We are attempting to uphold the Election Commission's rules



to the degree conceivable. On the off chance that somebody is found purposely attempting to abuse the social removing standards, at that point a body of evidence will be stopped against them," he told PTI. He said a few bodies of evidence have been enrolled against those found disregarding the COVID-19 convention however communicated his powerlessness to share the specific number. 

BJP applicant Pawan Kumar Yadav disclosed to PTI that numerous individuals wore veils however social removing couldn't be kept up regardless of the circles drawn on the ground due to the weighty surge. 

As Nitish Kumar is addresses 4-5 revitalizes each day, his allies appear to be more worried about vanquishing the RJD than being careful of the pandemic. "Crown will strike individuals like Lalu Prasad and his gathering men who transformed the state into wilderness raj," said a participant at Kumar's convention in Bhore in Gopalganj region.

Chaos prevailed at a grand alliance rally at SBJ High School in Madhepura's Bihariganj where Subhashini Yadav, daughter of socialist veteran Sharad Yadav, is in the fray on a Congress ticket. "We will get jobs if he comes to power. Can there be a bigger issue for people like us who don't have jobs?" a grand alliance supporter asked, brushing aside questions about not wearing a mask at Tejashwi Yadav's rally in Aurangabad.

However, the local administration has not been sitting idle. There have been some instances where organisers of such rallies have been booked for violation of the Covid-19 norms. The Gaya district administration lodged an FIR against the organisers of a rally organised for BJP president J P Nadda on October 11 where social distancing norms were allegedly violated. The FIR was registered on a complaint by circle officer Rajiv Ranjan. An FIR was also registered against Sadhu Yadav, the estranged brother-in-law of RJD supremo Lalu Prasad, in Gopalganj. He is contesting on a BSP ticket.

Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM) spokesman Danish Rizwan said his party was distributing sanitizers and masks among the people before the rallies and was also appealing to them from the dais to maintain social distancing. "But sometimes people forget everything and try to come close to the stage leading to some pushing and shoving," he added.

Bihar had reported over 2.12 lakh Covid-19 cases till October 25. However, the state has had a high recovery rate, which went up to 94.69 on Sunday.