Bihar Election 2020: EC doubles time to parties for broadcast, telecast for polls

Patna, Oct 09: The Election Commission on Friday doubled broadcast and telecast time to political parties for carrying out their election campaigns on Doordarshan and All India Radio for the upcoming assembly elections in Bihar.

The decision was taken in view of enhanced relevance of non-contact based campaigning due to COVID19 pandemic.

The broadcast and telecast time will be available only to national parties and recognised state parties. This facility will be available from Regional Kendras of AIR and Doordarshan.

The additional time to be allotted to a party has been decided on the basis of its poll performance in the last Bihar Assembly election in 2015.

"A base time of 90 minutes will be given to each national party and recognised state party of Bihar uniformly on the regional kendras of Doordarshan network and All India Radio network in Bihar," the commission said.

No party will be allocated more than 30 minutes in a single broadcast session.

The period of broadcast will be between the last date of filing nominations and two days before the date of polling in Bihar.

The state will go to polls in three phases on October 28, November 3 and November 7. The counting of votes will take place on November 10.

"The Prasar Bharati Corporation in consultation with the Commission will decide the actual date and time for broadcast and telecast. This will be subject to the broad technical constraints governing the actual time of transmission available with the Doordarshan and All India Radio," the poll body said.

The parties will be required to submit transcripts and recordings in advance.

"In addition to the broadcast by parties, the Prasar Bharati Corporation will organise a maximum of four panel discussions and/or debates on the Kendra/Station of Doordarshan/All India Radio. Each eligible party can nominate one representative to such a programme," the commission said.

Voting for Bihar assembly elections will be held from October 28. Voting for the first phase on October 28 will cover 71 assembly constituencies, while the second-phase voting on November 3 will cover 94 seats. The third phase of voting on November 7 will cover 78 assembly seats.

Counting of votes for all seats will take place on November 10.