'EC-BJP gathbandhan': Cong's swipe at poll body after Bihar election dates announced

New Delhi, Oct 6 (PTI) As the Election Commission announced the dates for the Bihar Assembly polls, the Congress on Monday alleged the poll body was in an "alliance" with the BJP and asserted that it failed to provide answers to the questions raised by Rahul Gandhi.

Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar on Monday announced two-phase assembly elections in Bihar on November 6 and 11 while the counting of votes will be held on November 14.

Reacting to the development, Congress' media and publicity department head Pawan Khera said, "We don't get answers to our questions. Election Commission is being questioned on a daily basis. They created a political environment that there are illegal migrants, where are the illegal migrants? They did not answer." "The questions that INDIA bloc and Rahul Gandhi asked, no answers have been given," he told PTI Videos.

Khera also alleged that the announcement was made on Monday, giving the ruling alliance time to put money in people's hands.

"If this is not 'gathbandhan' (alliance) between the BJP and the EC then what is it. The issue is not just 'vote chori' but what you do after it. What you did for the last 20 years those are the issues. You stole pensions, rations, jobs," Khera said.

In Bihar, 121 assembly constituencies will go to the polls in the first phase, while voting will be held in 122 seats in the second phase.

For the first phase, the last date of filing nominations is October 17 while the scrutiny will be held on October 18. The last date of withdrawal of candidature for first phase elections is October 20.

Similarly, for the second phase, the last date of filing nominations is October 20 while scrutiny will be held on October 21. The last date of withdrawal of candidature for the second phase elections is October 23.

The term of the current Bihar Assembly ends on November 22. The state has 243 assembly constituencies, including two reserved for Scheduled Tribes and 38 for Scheduled Castes. PTI ASK ASK KVK KVK