Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar shows his finger marked with indelible ink after casting vote at a polling station during the seventh phase of Lok Sabha elections, in Patna (PTI) Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar shows his finger marked with indelible ink after casting vote at a polling station during the seventh phase of Lok Sabha elections, in Patna (PTI)

As the six-week long and fiercely contested Lok Sabha elections draws to an end today, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar said elections of this magnitude should be limited to two-three phases and during months outside summer. Kumar said he would write to the presidents of all political parties in the country for a discussion on the issue.

After casting his vote in Patna, Kumar told reporters: “Such long drawn elections should not be held in such intense heat conditions. This is not an appropriate time (conducive atmosphere) for holding elections. It must be either held in February-March or October-November in two to three phases in our country.”

Kumar also said that there was no point in having a break between two phases of polling. “There should be unanimity among people that there should be a constitutional arrangement that whenever there is an election, it should be held at the aforementioned time (Feb-Mar or Oct-Nov) and should not be held in so many phases,” the chief minister said.

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“Ideally, elections should be held in one phase across the country but keeping in mind the size of the country and also the security situation in the hilly areas of northeast states and Jammu and Kashmir, two to three phases should work,” he added.

Kumar favours Sadhvi Pragya’s explusion

Condemning BJP candidate Sadhvi Pragya’s remarks on Nathuram Godse, the Bihar CM said such remarks are not to be “tolerated” and that the party should consider expelling her. “This is highly condemnable. We will not tolerate all these things (Thakur’s statement terming Godse as patriot). Bapu is the father of the nation and people will not like if anyone talks about Godse in this manner, ” Kumar said.

In reply to a query whether the BJP should expel her from the party, Kumar said that “it must be considered.” He, however, was quick to add that though “it is an internal matter of the BJP, but so far as country or ideology is concerned, there is no question of tolerating such things.”

Kumar said that he has categorically stated that it is completely in the domain of party to give reaction or take action against the person who made such remarks.

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