NEW DELHI: A delegation of the National Democratic Alliance met the Election Commission here on Wednesday to demand early elections in Bihar, possibly by mid-July before the monsoon sets in.

The delegation, comprising Janata Dal (United) leaders Nitish Kumar, Sharad Yadav and Rajiv Ranjan Lallan, and BJP leaders Arun Jaitley and M.A. Naqvi, told the Commission that a pre-monsoon timetable for elections would be better as during and after the monsoon large parts of the State often get flooded.

Speaking to reporters, Mr. Jaitley pointed out that the current term of President's Rule in the State would end on September 6 and ``the Election Commission cannot take Parliament for granted or presume that extension of President's Rule would be approved by it.''

It was, thus, its constitutional duty to ensure that a new Assembly is in place before that date.

Mr. Jaitley said that with only one State going to the polls deploying adequate security forces should not be difficult and the Commission could consider a single day poll. As the voter lists are ready — the last poll was held in February/ March — there was no reason why polls could not be scheduled by July.

"We are strong"

The BJP leaders admitted that politically early polls would suit the party. They pointed out that the BJP-JD (U) alliance in the State was strong and intact, the party wanted to make the dissolution itself a poll issue, and the NDA was aware that the political rivals in the United Progressive Alliance have not yet decided which party will go with whom, let alone work out seat sharing.

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