Bihar polls may be five-phased

Bihar assembly elections which are to be announced shortly are expected to be five-phased and around 50,000 paramilitary personnel will be deployed in each phase to ensure peaceful polling.

The Election Commission had a detailed meeting with top home ministry officials on Friday on deployment of security forces during the polls that may be held next month.

There is a demand of about 500 companies (around 100 personnel each) of paramilitary forces for each phase of polling and the Home Ministry will provide all the required forces, sources said.

Apart from the central forces, state police will also be deployed extensively during the elections.

The term of the 243-member Bihar assembly comes to an end on November 29.

The Election Commission is likely to announce the schedule of the high-voltage Bihar Assembly polls later in the next few days.

After ruling the state for ten years, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar is seeking a third term this time in alliance with Rashtriya Janata Dal and Congress after he walked out of NDA in June, 2013 snapping 17-year-old ties with the Bharatiya Janata Party.

The BJP, which had almost swept the state in the Lok Sabha polls in alliance with Ram Vilas Paswan's Lok Janshakti Party and Upendra Kushwaha's Rashtriya Lok Samata Party, is hoping to repeat its performance and slamming Kumar for aligning with Lalu Prasad, a convict in fodder scam case.