JOIN USAfter BJP MLC's death, Opposition asks Nitish Kumar: Is Bihar poll necessary?
A BJP MLC and a Civil Surgeon were among the three persons who died due to Covid-19 at AIIMS-Patna in the last 24 hours. Thirty other doctors, afflicted with coronavirus, are also admitted in the same premier hospital in the State Capital. This excludes 18 doctors of the Patna Medical College and Hospital who have tested coronavirus positive.
With the coronavirus pandemic showing no sign of improvement in Bihar, the Opposition in the State on Wednesday asked the Nitish Kumar Government whether it was advisable to conduct Assembly elections, slated for October-November this year.
"Sad to hear the demise of BJP MLC. My heartfelt condolences to Sunil Singh Ji. My simple question to Nitish Government is: 'Lashon ki dher pe chunav kyon karwana chahti hai yeh sarkar'? (Why is this Government keen to conduct the polls on the piles of dead bodies?)," said Leader of the Opposition, Tejashwi Yadav on Wednesday.
The number of coronavirus patients in Bihar, as of today (Wednesday), had gone up to 30,066. "Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has become invisible. The situation has become worse in the State whether it is Covid-19, law and order or floods," said the RJD leader who, on Wednesday, distributed food and relief materials among the flood victims in Darbhanga and adjoining areas.
Plea to Election Commission
Recently, the main Opposition parties in Bihar, including the RJD, Congress, CPI, CPM, CPI-ML, RLSP and the HAM, had asked the EC to rethink how polls could be conducted amid such pandemic as the event may lead to "alarming exponential surge in coronavirus cases".
The Opposition leaders had asked the EC to explain how it planned to ensure social distancing in a State which has 7.5 crore voters out of 13 crore population.