New Delhi, Sep 25 (IANS): The Election Commission of India is set to announce the dates for the Bihar Assembly polls on Friday, official sources said.

A press conference is scheduled to be held at 12.30 pm at the Vigyan Bhavan in this regard, the EC spokesperson Sheyphali Saran said.

Due to Covid protocols, only journalists accredited with the PIB would be allowed to attend the presser.

Bihar has 243 Assembly seats. In 2015, the alliance of the Rashtriya Janata Dal, Janata Dal-United and the Congress had swept the polls but JD-U has since aligned with the BJP.

Earlier this month, the EC said that the Assembly elections will be completed before November 29, the date on which the tenure of the present Assembly ends.

The EC also said that by-elections to 65 seats in different states will also be held simultaneously.

The EC has already issued the guidelines to all political parties to help prevent the spread of Covid-19.

The candidates will file nomination papers and deposit security money online. Facial masks, hand sanitisers, social distancing norms would be mandatory during political campaigning or at rallies.

Earlier, the EC had asked political parties for their opinions on the conduct of Assembly elections.

The RJD, LJP and some others had suggested postponement of the electoral battle until the coronavirus pandemic was over. However, the ruling JD-U, BJP and others wanted the elections to be completed before the Assembly's term ended.