Kanpur (Uttar Pradesh) [India], November 2 (ANI): Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar on Sunday asserted that the Election Commission of India (ECI) has 'zero tolerance' towards violence and assured that the upcoming Bihar Assembly elections will be held in a completely 'peaceful, law-abiding and transparent manner.'

The CEC said the polls will provide an opportunity for voters to celebrate democracy as a 'festival'.

'The Election Commission has zero tolerance towards violence. Bihar elections will be conducted in a completely peaceful, law-abiding, transparent manner, and all voters will have the opportunity to celebrate it as a festival. The first phase of voting in Bihar is on November 6th. The second phase is on the 11th, and the counting of votes is on November 14th. I am hopeful that people will come out to cast their votes in large numbers,' he said.

His remarks came days after the murder of politician Dularchand Yadav on October 30 in Mokama constituency during a rally of Jan Suraaj candidate Piyush Priyadarshini. Following the incident, Janata Dal (United) candidate from Mokama, Anant Kumar Singh, was arrested.

Gyanesh Kumar, who is in Kanpur to visit his alma mater, the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur, was recently conferred with the institute's Distinguished Alumni Award (DAA), its highest honour recognising alumni for exceptional achievements.

Mokama, which goes to polls in the first phase on November 6, is expected to witness a high-voltage contest, with JD(U) fielding Anant Singh and the Rashtriya Janata Dal nominating Veena Devi, wife of former MP and influential leader Surajbhan Singh.

The voting for the 243-seat Bihar Assembly will be held in two phases on November 6 and 11. The results will be declared on November 14. (ANI)