Sharad Yadav and Nitish Kumar at the news conference. (PTI)

New Delhi, May 25: The NDA told the Election Commission today that the Bihar election must be held by mid-July to avert a “constitutional crisis”.

A BJP-Janata Dal (United) delegation, comprising Nitish Kumar, Sharad Yadav, Rajiv Ranjan Singh Lallan and Arun Jaitley, called on the poll panel and stressed that “normal governance has to be restored according to constitutional provisions and efforts should be made in the direction as fast as possible”.

In an informal media briefing after the meeting, Jaitley said the NDA team pointed out to the commission that the President’s rule, imposed in Bihar should end on September 6, six months after it was imposed on March 7. “The EC is bound by the Constitution to have a new Assembly in readiness by September 7,” he said.

Jaitley argued that an extension is possible only under “pressing or extraordinary circumstances” and Bihar does not seem to be an “exception for central rule beyond six months”.

The extension would have to be ratified by both Houses of Parliament, he said. But there is a problem ? the next sitting of Parliament, the monsoon session, is tentatively slated from July 25 to August 14. “Will a special session be convened to ratify an extension?” asked Jaitley.

The delegation told the poll panel that contrary to what law minister H.R. Bhardwaj had said yesterday ? that the UPA government wanted an extension and it would be put before Parliament when it meets in late July ? the commission cannot draw up a poll schedule based on “presumptions of what Parliament proposes to do and not to do”.

BJP sources quoted a commission member as telling the delegation that “this problem has crossed our minds, too, and we are looking into it”.

Jaitley said if the extension is to be ratified, there is no “certainty” of endorsement from either the UPA government’s outside supporters like the Samajwadi Party and Bahujan Samaj Party or those part of the alliance like Ram Vilas Paswan’s Lok Janshakti Party. “So what is the basis for Parliament to extend it?” he asked.

The NDA delegation argued that Bihar’s would be a “stand-alone” election unlike the one in February in which two other states, Jharkhand and Haryana, were also involved. This time, there would not be any need for troop movement or staggering the exercise over three phases. Fresh revision of electoral rolls would also not be necessary, the delegation said.

As for the rains, the NDA’s contention was: “In Bihar, the monsoon is not severe, it is the post-monsoon phase that’s worrisome when the state gets inundated with floods.”

The BJP is looking at a pre-July 15 date for the polls, which, sources said, would be possible only if the commission announces the schedule next week.