Polling is currently underway in eight Lok Sabha constituencies - Nalanda, Patna Sahib, Pataliputra, Ara, Buxar, Jehanabad, Sasaram and Karakat.
Questioning the long drawn polling in intense heat conditions, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar Sunday suggested that Lok Sabha elections should be held in two or three phases.
"Such a long drawn elections should not be held in such an intense heat conditions. This is not an appropriate time (conducive atmosphere) for holding elections. It must be either held in February-March or October-November in two to three phases in our country," Kumar told reporters in Patna.
Kumar was talking to reporters after casting his vote at a polling station located at a government school near Raj Bhavan in the state capital.
Polling is currently underway in eight Lok Sabha constituencies - Nalanda, Patna Sahib, Pataliputra, Ara, Buxar, Jehanabad, Sasaram and Karakat. Elections FOR 40 Lok Sabha seats in Bihar were held in seven phases, starting from April 11.
Asserting that elections should not be held in so many phases, Kumar said that elections should be held in minimal phases so that voters should not have any problems in exercising their franchise as there is no shade for them at polling stations and they have to stand in queues.
"There should be unanimity among people that there should be constitutional arrangement that whenever there is election, it should be held at the aforementioned time (Feb-Mar or Oct-Nov) and should not be held in so many phases," the chief minister said, adding that there is no point having big gap between two phases of polling.
Ideally, elections should be held in one phase across the country but since the country so big that it should be held in two or three phases keeping in mind the hilly areas of north east states and Jammu and Kashmir.
Stating that the long drawn elections can't be seen as mismanagement, Kumar said that "After the elections are over, I, as a president of my party, will write letters to the presidents of all political parties for discussion on the issue (timing for holding elections) despite the fact that we have so much differences over many issues." It would be good for everyone especially for voters if the idea is accepted by parties, he said, adding that the idea is in the interest of the country.
In reply to a query, Kumar exuded confidence that NDA government will be formed at the Centre under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Asked about his issues during the campaigning, Kumar said that his only issue was development work which he did in the past 13 years and also the work done by the central government which he raised during his election meetings.
An estimated 8.08 per cent of the 1,52,52,608 voters had exercised their franchise in the eight Lok Sabha seats in Bihar on Sunday till 9 am, an official said.
Altogether 157 candidates including four Union Ministers are in the fray in the seventh and final phase of polling in Bihar.
Prominent candidates whose electoral fate will be decided in Sunday's polling include - Union Law and IT minister Ravi Shankar Prasad, his Congress rival Shatrughan Sinha (Patna Sahib), Union minister Ram Kripal Yadav and his RJD rival Misa Bharti (Pataliputra), Union minister Ashwini Kumar Choubey (Buxar), Union minister R K Singh (Ara), former Lok Sabha Speaker and senior Congress leader Meira Kumar (Sasaram) are also in fray in Sunday's polling.
(With PTI inputs)
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