The Election Commission has decided  that voters without  photo identity cards will not be allowed  vote in the forthcoming assembly elections in Bihar.

"No photo identity card, no vote," said Bihar Chief Election Officer N K Sinha.

Sinha said that EC has made possesson of photo identity cards mandatory for exercise of franchise in the next assembly polls in state. Even if a voter produces any one of 14 alternative documents, prescribed by the EC for identification, he or she will not be allowed to vote.

• EC team in Bihar to review poll preparations

He said the earlier order of showing any alternative documents to vote had been withdrawn for the coming assembly polls in state.

He said the EC is working hard to provide photo-identity cards to all voters in the state before the poll. There are 5.3 crore voters in state and till date only half of them have been proided photo identity cards.

An EC team headed by its advisor K J Rao is visiting Bihar from Tuesday to review the poll preparations and other arrangements in view of the next assembly polls due before the end of 2005.

The EC team will be split into four separate teams that would visit districts for five days to review the ongoing  work of preparing photo identity cards and revision of electoral rolls.