Bihar Assembly polls 2020: Nitish Kumar launches JD(U)'s digital platform, to hold virtual rally on 6 Sept

Patna: In a bid to reach out to people across Bihar during upcoming polls amid COVID-19 pandemic, ruling Janata Dal (United) has created a digital platform on which Chief Minister Nitish Kumar will kick off election campaign with a virtual rally on 6 September, party sources said on Tuesday. Kumar, who is JD(U)’s national president, will formally inaugurate the digital platform “jdulive.com” soon so that it could be used for the virtual rally, its national secretary Ravindra Prasad Singh said in a statement in Patna. “Party chief and CM Nitish Kumar will hold ‘Jan Samvad’ during which he will address party’s first ever virtual rally using the digital platform on 6 September,” said Singh, claiming it would be country’s first dedicated virtual rally platform where lakhs of people could be connected. Polls in Bihar are expected in October-November. Considering prevalence of coronavirus cases in the state, the ruling party like its BJP ally is bracing to use technology for connecting with the people during election. JD(U)s platform has the capacity to link 10 lakh people, who could watch rally live besides connecting directly with it, he said. Apart from streaming the public rally live on jdulive.com, it will also be broadcast on other social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Youtube besides live coverage of the programme by the news channels, he added. Similar to its NDA partner BJP, which has been extensively using virtual platform to connect with the people in every manner, the JD(U) is also planning to take a digital route keeping in mind limited scope for campaigning on the ground in view of coronavirus pandemic and detailed guidelines issued by the Election Commission in the changed circumstances. “At a time when COVID pandemic is affecting everything, we have to search for some out-of-box solution,” Singh said, adding that the party can not be left behind when technology can be used easily and effectively without jeopardizing peoples lives. Tech-savvy BJP held its two-day state executive committee meeting on 22-23 August through virtual medium which was addressed by its national president JP Nadda, general secretary (organization) BL Santhosh, general secretary Bhupender Yadav and some state leaders including Bihar deputy chief minister Sushil Kumar Modi. The Election Commission had on 21 August issued guidelines for holding elections during COVID-19 pandemic. The guidelines put several curbs on organising campaign, voting as well as counting process.