Bihar polls are among the most hotly contested, and also among the most watched. These elections are being treated as a referendum on the BJP government in the Center.
For this reason, all parties concerned are taking things extremely seriously, with so much at stake. With the old Indian adage of “Saam Daam Dand Bhed” (request, pay, coerce, betray) very much in their minds, even the Election Comission is spending sleepless nights to ensure a fair election.
To this end, they have issued an edict to the Bihar government to ensure that partitions between polling booths are solid, and not merely flimsly cloth hung to separate them. They have also given guidance about placement of the Electonic Voting Machines, their controls and cables, and other systems to prevent any finagling in the process.
