Patna, September 26: A day after Election Commission of India announced the date and schedule for the Bihar Assembly Elections 2020, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar revisited VIP security to provide Z plus security cover to NDA ally Jitan Ram Manjhi. The state government also retained the top security cover for rivals Lalu Prasad and Rabri Devi of RJD.

According to a report, published in the Hindustan Times, the Bihar government revised the security arrangement for Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM-S) chief Dalit leader Jitan Ram Manjhi to Z plus security based on the current threat perceptions. With this, Manjhi will now have a Z plus security which is a notch higher than the Z security cover which he had earlier. Bihar Assembly Elections 2020 Opinion Poll: BJP-JD(U)+ Likely to Win 151 Seats, Mahagathbandhan May Retain 74, Predicts IANS C-Voter Survey.

It is to be known that Bihar governor and chief minister are Z-plus and advanced security liaison (ASL) protectees. However, now Lalu Prasad, Rabri Devi and Jitan Manjhi will too have Z-plus security, as they are the former chief ministers of the state. While protection for former chief minister Dr Jagannath Mishra was withdrawn as he died. As per reports, 31 VIPs will be given security cover.

Among other leaders who have been given Z and Y-category security include Union Ministers Ram Vilas Paswan, Nityanand Rai and Ravi Shankar Prasad, Bihar deputy CM Sushil Kumar Modi and Ashok Kumar Choudhary. Also, MPs like Vashisht Narayan Singh, Rajiv Pratap Rudy, Radha Mohan Singh, Pasupati Nath Paras, Sushil Kumar Singh, Rajiv Ranjan alias Lalan Singh have been given Y and Z-category security. Lalu Prasad’s younger son and leader of Opposition Tejaswhi Prasad Yadav has got Y-plus security cover and elder son Tej Pratap Yadav has got Y-category security.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Sep 26, 2020 02:01 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).