THE JHARKHAND STORY DESK
Patna, Oct 6: The Election Commission on Monday announced the schedule for the Bihar Assembly elections. Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar, in a press conference, stated that the elections for 243 assembly seats will be held in two phases: the first phase on November 6 for 121 seats, and the second phase on November 11 for 122 seats.
The counting of votes will take place on November 14.
Key Dates for Bihar Assembly Elections:
- First phase gazette notification: October 10
- Second phase gazette notification: October 13
- Nomination filing (Phase 1): October 17, (Phase 2): October 20
- Scrutiny of nominations (Phase 1): October 18, (Phase 2): October 21
- Withdrawal of nominations (Phase 1): October 20, (Phase 2): October 23
- Election process to conclude by: November 16
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Following a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the voter list, Bihar will hold its first election after a major update in which 68.5 lakh names were removed and 21.53 lakh new names added. Around 14 lakh voters will be casting their vote for the first time.
The revision and updating of the voter list began on June 24, 2025, and the draft voter list was published on August 1. Between August 1 and September 1, claims and objections were processed, and the final voter list was released on September 30.
CEC Gyanesh Kumar clarified that any voter noticing discrepancies can appeal to the respective District Magistrate. After SIR, the final voter list has been provided to all political parties, and the list issued after nomination filing will be considered final.
This year, 17 new initiatives will be implemented in Bihar elections. Only 1,200 voters will be allowed per polling station to prevent long queues. Following voter requests, colored photographs will now appear on voter ID cards for easier identification. Political parties will be allowed to set up booths at a distance of 100 meters from polling stations.
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CEC Gyanesh Kumar also noted that these elections come after five years, and the Election Commission’s work is divided into two major stages: preparing the voter list and conducting the elections.
