A petition has been filed in the Supreme Court seeking the postponement of the Bihar Assembly elections due to the coronavirus pandemic. The petition has been filed by Rashtravadi Janata Party through its national president, Anil Bharti.
The state has been reeling under severe and extraordinary circumstances on account of not only the Covid-19 but also the recent floods, the petitioner highlights. There is a flood situation in the entire state and the people of the state are fighting for their homes and livelihoods, and therefore, the government should not take the risk of holding elections and putting a burden on the people to go cast their votes in this dire situation, the plea said.
The petition also stated, “Currently most of the countries in the entire world are suffering from coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic and India has almost become the epicentre of the said pandemic. Taking into consideration the vast population and the medical facilities in our country in comparison to the developed countries, there is every likelihood that this pandemic will rapidly increase further and consequently the life of the peoples of India will be in danger.”
“The central government and state governments are leaving no stone unturned to get rid of this pandemic and the floods, but the situation is a very serious one and as such, to hold elections at this time, when the pandemic is at its peak and the conditions of the people are miserable on account of the flood in the state. This dual strike by nature has made the lives of the peoples miserable,” the plea added.
The petition further said that “human life is paramount and not the election and that it is the duty of the government to think about”.