Bihar assembly elections 2020: The state will go on polls in three phases, announced the election commission on Friday afternoon. In the first phase, 71 constituencies in 16 districts will vote. The voting will take place on 28th October, 3rd and 7th November. The results will be out on November 10.

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While addressing the challenges, the election commission said that several countries have delayed voting due to the pandemic. It added that all necessary arrangements are being made in Bihar to ensure safe voting. This will be the first major election in India since the COVID-19 pandemic. Bihar has to elect a new 243-member assembly by November 29.

“As days and months passed & #COVID19 showed no signs of abetting, it was realised that some way would have to be found to balance the democratic rights of the electorate while also making sincere & systematic efforts to protect health & safety of people,” CEC Sunil Arora said.

The Model Code of Conduct has come into force with the announcement. The Commission has already made elaborate arrangements for ensuring the effective implementation of MCC guidelines.

He said that the term of assembly in the state of Bihar is due to expire on 29th November, 2020. Bihar assembly has a strength of 243 members, of whom 38 seats are reserved for SCs and two for STs.

Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, who leads a coalition with the BJP, will fight for a fourth term in these polls, with the opposition RJD of jailed former chief minister Lalu Yadav and the Congress challenging him. The ruling National Democratic Alliance includes Nitish Kumar's Janata Dal United, the BJP, Chirag Paswan's Lok Janshakti Party and former chief minister Jitan Ram Manjhi's Hindustani Awam Morcha, which recently switched from the opposition alliance.

In 2015, Nitish Kumar contested the polls with RJD and Congress after ending ties with the BJP in 2013. But within two years of the Mahagatbandhan, which had brought rivals Nitish Kumar and Lalu Yadav together after 25 years, their ties soured. After this, he resigned and once again joined hands with BJP.