The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Monday announced that the Bihar Legislative Assembly elections will be conducted in two phases, on 6 November and 11 November, with counting scheduled for 14 November. Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar confirmed that the entire electoral process will conclude before 22 November, when the term of the current Assembly expires.
The state has a total of 243 constituencies, including 203 general seats, 38 reserved for Scheduled Castes (SC), and 2 reserved for Scheduled Tribes (ST), with over 7.43 crore voters registered across 90,712 polling stations. Of these, 250 stations will be patrolled on horseback, and 197 stations are accessible only by boat. Each constituency will have one General Observer, supported by 38 Police Observers and 67 Expenditure Observers appointed by the Election Commission.
The 2025 Bihar elections are expected to witness a direct face-off between the BJP–JD(U) led NDA alliance, led by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, and the INDIA Alliance, spearheaded by the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD)and the Congress. Adding a new dimension to the contest, political strategist Prashant Kishor’s Jan Suraaj Party will make its electoral debut, contesting all 243 seats. In the outgoing Assembly, the NDA holds 131 seats (BJP 80, JD(U) 45, HAM(S) 4, and two Independents), while the Mahagathbandhan commands 111 seats (RJD 77, Congress 19, CPI(ML) 11, CPI(M) 2, and CPI 2).
The Election Commission has announced several new initiatives to enhance transparency, accessibility, and efficiency during polling. “No polling station will have more than 1,200 voters,”said Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, highlighting the Commission’s efforts to streamline voter management.
Booth-level officers (BLOs) will now carry photo identity cards for easier verification, and voters will be required to deposit their mobile phones before entering polling booths. The Commission also confirmed that 100% webcasting will be implemented across all polling stations to ensure real-time monitoring and prevent malpractice.
For the first time, EVM ballot papers will feature coloured candidate photographs for improved clarity. Candidate faces will occupy three-fourths of the image space, while serial numbers will appear in bold, 30-point international numerals. The Commission stated that these upgraded ballots will debut in the upcoming Bihar polls to “enhance voter experience and reduce confusion during voting.
The Election Commission has also introduced 17 new measures to ensure smoother, more transparent polling. These include free delivery of EPIC (Elector Photo Identity Cards), photo ID cards for booth-level officers (BLOs), a mobile deposit facility at polling stations, and redesigned Voter Information Slips (VIS) with clearer serial and part numbers. Voters will have access to a one-stop digital platform via the ECINet app, providing near real-time turnout updates, while no polling station will have more than 1,200 voters. Candidate booths will be allowed only outside 100 metres of polling stations, and 100% webcasting will be implemented at every station. Other reforms include upgraded EVM ballot paper designs, digital index cards and reports, mandatory VVPAT counts for mismatches, and a streamlined system for counting postal ballots. These initiatives aim to make voting more accessible, secure, and citizen-friendly. Chief Election Commissioner Kumar said these measures are aimed at creating “a more transparent and citizen-friendly electoral ecosystem.”
The poll schedule follows the completion of a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, which began on 24 June and concluded on time. Political parties had earlier requested that elections be held after the Chhath festival to encourage higher voter participation, as many migrant workers return to Bihar during that period.
