New Delhi, September 4: The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Friday said it has decided to conduct assembly elections in Bihar and by-polls to 65 assembly and parliamentary seats in various states simultaneously. The decision was taken after a review meeting of the ECI regarding holding pending by-elections in various states. The poll panel took inputs from state chief secretaries regarding flood situation and the coronavirus crisis. Bihar Assembly Elections 2020: EC Issues Guidelines For All Polls And Bypolls To Be Held Amid COVID-19; Face Masks Made Compulsory, Option of Online Nomination Filing For Candidates.

"Considering that general assembly elections in Bihar are also due and required to be completed before November 29, the Commission has decided to conduct all the 65 bye-elections and the general assembly elections of Bihar around the same time," the ECI said in a statement. "One of the major factors in clubbing them together is the relative ease of movement of CAPF/ other law and order forces, and related logistics issues," it added. Bihar Assembly Elections 2020: CM Nitish Kumar May Face Former Patna Commissioner Anupam Kumar Suman After Rift in 2019.

The dates for the Bihar assembly elections and the 65 by-polls will be announced at an appropriate time, the ECI further said. Of the 65 vacancies where by-elections are due, 64 are assembly seats and one is a parliamentary seat.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Sep 04, 2020 02:36 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).