Patna: The Election Commission of India (ECI) will hold a meeting with representatives of recognised political parties in Patna on October 4, ahead of the Bihar Legislative Assembly elections.
The Chief Election Commissioner is scheduled to personally attend the session at the Taj Hotel from 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM. The meeting will bring together party officials to discuss preparations for the upcoming state elections.
However, several notable parties have reportedly not been invited. Among them are Mukesh Sahni’s Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP), Upendra Kushwaha’s Rashtriya Loktantrik Party (RLM), and Jitan Ram Manjhi’s Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM).
Invitations have been extended to a range of other major parties, including the Aam Aadmi Party, Bahujan Samaj Party, Bharatiya Janata Party, Communist Party of India (Marxist), Indian National Congress, National People’s Party, Janata Dal (United), Rashtriya Lok Jan Shakti Party, Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas), Rashtriya Janata Dal, Rashtriya Lok Samata Party, and the Communist Party of India (Marxist–Leninist) Liberation.
The Bihar Chief Electoral Officer’s office has requested that each invited party provide the names, designations, mobile numbers, and email addresses of up to three representatives by October 1. Party officials have also been asked to arrive an hour before the meeting.
The exclusion of certain regional parties from the discussion has raised questions over the inclusivity of the preparatory process, as Bihar heads towards what is expected to be a closely contested assembly election.
