Breaking: Bihar Election Dates Announced, To Be Held In Two Phases On 6th and 11th Nov

The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Monday (6th October)  announced the schedule for the Bihar assembly elections, which will be held in two phases on November 6 and 11, with vote counting slated for November 14.

Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar said the polling process “will be a smooth and comfortable experience” for voters, noting that 1,044 polling stations across the state will be managed entirely by women.

The CEC emphasized that fake news on social media will be countered effectively and that there will be zero tolerance for voter intimidation or violence. “The Election Commission intends to conduct peaceful, fair, and transparent elections. For this to happen, the Commission expects cooperation from all political parties, voters, and the media,” he added.

These elections will be the first after the Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, which removed 68.5 lakh names and added 21.5 lakh new voters. “The final voter list after SIR has been provided to all political parties. Following the nomination filing, the voters’ list to be released will be final,” Gyanesh Kumar said.

Gyanesh Kumar stated that “each polling station will have a maximum of 1,200 voters” to ensure a smoother voting process.

On Sunday in Patna, Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar briefed the media on measures to ensure smooth and secure voting in the upcoming Bihar assembly elections. He said booth-level officials will carry identity cards for easier identification, and voters’ mobile phones can be deposited outside the polling booths.

“Identity cards have been introduced for booth-level officials to help voters identify them. Mobile phones can be deposited in a room outside the booth. This process will be implemented across Bihar. There will be 100 percent webcasting at every polling station,” the CEC said.

The Election Commission has also revised guidelines under Rule 49B of the Conduct of Elections Rules, 1961, to improve the design and clarity of EVM ballot papers. Candidate photographs will now be printed in color, occupying three-fourths of the photo space for better visibility. Serial numbers and NOTA will appear in the international form of Indian numerals with a bold font size of 30. The upgraded ballot papers will be used starting with the Bihar assembly elections.

The Bihar elections are expected to be a direct contest between the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA), led by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, and the Mahagathbandhan, headed by Tejashwi Yadav’s Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD).

In the 243-member assembly, the NDA currently holds 131 seats—BJP 80, JD(U) 45, HAM(S) 4, and two Independents—while the Mahagathbandhan has 111 seats: RJD 77, Congress 19, CPI(ML) 11, CPI(M) 2, and CPI 2.

With the announcement of poll dates, political activity in Bihar is expected to intensify, as parties step up efforts to woo voters in the state, a key battleground in India’s Hindi heartland.

Also Read: Amit Shah Slams Rahul Gandhi for Prioritizing Bangladeshi Infiltrators Over Bihar