Tandon: Duty call

New Delhi, May 24: The Election Commission today began the process of conducting polls to the Bihar Assembly ? the second this year ? that are estimated to cost the national exchequer upwards of Rs 250 crore.

The cost of the election will be borne by the Union government and the law ministry will inform the poll panel about the availability and disbursement of funds in accordance with the commission’s needs.

Much of the cost will go for transportation and deployment of police and paramilitary forces, election officials and use of electronic voting machines.

However, this does not give a fair account of the expense on an election ? whether in Bihar or elsewhere. The total bill can be up to twice the cost of arranging the election because of the expenses incurred by candidates and parties in campaigning.

Expenses will go up with the number of phases the Election Commission decides upon. That is contingent on the availability of paramilitary forces.

As the Bihar Assembly polls this time round will not be held with major elections elsewhere in the country, the commission can expect the Union home ministry to make paramilitary forces available in larger numbers at short notice depending upon the law and order situation in the state.

Election Commission sources here said two officials were being sent to Patna on Friday for a first report on the arrangements to be made.

On the basis of that report, the full commission is likely to meet next week.

The schedule for the elections will depend on an assessment of the preparedness, weather conditions and the festival calendar.

In a press note today, the commission said deputy election commissioner Anand Kumar and legal adviser S.K. Mendiratta will be in Patna on May 27 and 28.

The poll panel team will meet district collectors and representatives of parties.

The brief of the team is to “assess the preparedness of the state election machinery, the prevailing ground situation, infrastructural and logistical requirements etc”.

The team has been asked to report to the commission on Monday.

The full commission, chaired by chief election commissioner B.B. Tandon, met here today after President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam dissolved the Bihar Assembly and the commission was formally asked to constitute the legislature.

Bihar has been under President’s rule since March 7. The Election Commission has six months within which to conduct the poll.