This story is from August 1, 2020

Bihar CM Nitish Kumar’s virtual rally on August 7 postponed

Bihar CM Nitish Kumar’s virtual rally on August 7 postponed
Nitish Kumar, CM Bihar
PATNA: The JD(U) on Friday postponed the August 7 virtual rally, which was to be addressed by chief minister and party’s national president Nitish Kumar. JD(U) state president Bashishtha Narayan Singh said the decision was taken in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic and floods in state. The fresh date will be announced later, Singh said.
Nitish was supposed to sound the party’s poll bugle through the rally as the state assembly election is due in October-November.

JD(U) spokesperson Rajiv Ranjan Prasad said the prevailing situation is not conducive for the rally. “That’s why it was decided to postpone it,” he said and added that preparations for the rally, however, were completed. Senior JD(U) leaders and MPs, MLAs, ministers and functionaries have already addressed the grassroots party workers in the 243 assembly constituencies between July 18 and 30. Separate teams were set up for the purpose, he said.
The virtual rallies addressed by the senior leaders of JD(U) and BJP in state so far have received flak from opposition RJD and Congress. In a statement, Congress MLC Prem Chandra Mishra said, “Wisdom finally prevailed on some senior JD(U) leaders, who decided to postpone it.”
Mishra said the state was reeling from coronavirus and floods, but JD(U) and BJP leaders were busy in holding virtual rallies of party workers in the run-up to the assembly polls. “It’s time to save people from coronavirus and floods and not to address rallies through videoconferencing,” he added.
Mishra also hoped the Election Commission (EC) would sooner or later realize the situation prevailing in the state due to surge in Covid-19 cases and floods in major parts of the state. “We are not in favour of conducting elections at the cost of risking the lives of electors, polling personnel, security forces, contestants and political party leaders. The election dates should be extended for six months as per the provisions in the Constitution,” the Congress MLC told this newspaper.
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