The Election Commission of India set to announce the schedule for the crucial Bihar Assembly elections at 4 pm today. The poll body will address the public from Vigyan Bhawan in the national capital, according to an official release. Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar previously stated that elections for the 243 seats in Bihar would wrap up before November 22, when the current Assembly’s term ends.
Many political parties asked the poll body to hold the election right after the ‘Chhath Puja’ festival at the end of October to boost voter turnout, as many people working in other states return home for the celebrations.
Election Commission will declare Bihar assembly polls schedule
The 2020 assembly polls in Bihar took place in three phases during the COVID-19 pandemic. The ruling NDA formed the government with Nitish Kumar as the Chief Minister. However, in 2022, the JD(U) led by Kumar severed ties with the NDA and joined forces with the RJD-led ‘Mahagathbandhan’. In 2024, Kumar ended his alliance with the ‘Mahagathbandhan’ and rejoined the NDA, resulting in the formation of the BJP-led NDA alliance in the state.
Bihar SIR row
The Election Commission completed the Special Intensive Revision (SIR). They released the final electoral list on September 30 amid significant scrutiny and criticism from the Opposition. The data indicated a drop in the number of voters. The total electorate decreased by about 38 lakh from 7.8 crore on January 1, 2025, to 7.42 crore in the final rolls. The final list included 21.53 lakh new names, while 3.66 lakh names were removed.
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