RJD MLA shifted to Bhagalpur jail

Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) legislator from Danapur Ritlal Yadav, currently imprisoned in connection with an extortion case, was transferred with two of his associates from Beur Central Jail (Patna) to high security Bhagalpur Central Jail for six months following reports that they were running criminal gangs from inside the jail, a home department official said on Friday.

- Avinash Kumar

PATNA: Ahead of the state assembly polls in Bihar, the state election department started the first level checking (FLC) of electronic voting machines (EVMs) from Friday in many districts and the exercise would continue in a phase-wise manner till June 20, officials said.

As per the schedule, the FLC started in Kishanganj, Purnea, Banka, Darbhanga, Nalanda, Khagaria, Gaya, Saran, Sitamarhi from today while in other districts, it would commence on different dates in next few weeks, sources said.

The FLC starts at least 120 days before the commencement of the general election to the state assembly or as instructed by the Election Commission of India (ECI).

In that perspective, the assembly poll in the state is likely to start in October in a phase-wise manner. In 2020, the state assembly polls were held in three phases on October 28, November 3 and November 7 while the counting was done on November 10.

In the guidelines issued by the office of Chief Electoral officer, Bihar to all district election officers (DEOs) cum DMs of 38 districts, the FLC checking exercise has to be done under the supervision of the DEO of each district and the schedule of the FLC has to be communicated to all national and state recognised political parties, whose representatives should be encouraged to be present on the first day of the FLC process.