Elections in Bihar are scheduled to be held before November 22, the day the term of the State Assembly ends, Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar announced on Sunday. The announcement sets the stage for a high-stakes electoral battle in the politically pivotal state.
Addressing a press conference in Patna, Kumar provided details of Bihar’s 243 assembly constituencies, including two reserved for Scheduled Tribes and 38 for Scheduled Castes. He highlighted the completion of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the voter list, which was launched on June 24 and successfully concluded ahead of schedule.
“We congratulate the voters of India. Thank you to everyone for the successful SIR process. I appeal to all the voters of Bihar to celebrate this festival of democracy with the same enthusiasm as you celebrate Chhath. Everyone should vote and ensure their participation,” Kumar said.
The CEC praised the state’s booth-level officers, noting that 90,217 officers had executed voter list cleansing work that set a benchmark for the entire country. “Recently, the voter list cleansing work was carried out in Bihar, and the booth-level officers present before us not only carried out the work of cleansing the voter list in their booths, but 90,217 booth-level officers of Bihar performed a work that is exemplary across the country...Just as Vaishali in Bihar showed the world the path to democracy. Together, you will become a source of inspiration for the country in the work of cleansing the voter list,” he added.
Also read: CEC Gyanesh Kumar thanks all for Bihar SIR
The Election Commission officials were on a two-day review visit to the state to monitor preparations. The forthcoming polls are widely expected to be a direct contest between the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA), led by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, and the opposition Mahagathbandhan, spearheaded by the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD).
Currently, the 243-member Bihar Assembly sees the NDA holding 131 seats, including 80 for BJP, 45 for JD(U), four for HAM(S), and two Independents. The Mahagathbandhan has 111 seats, with the RJD at 77, Congress 19, CPI(ML) 11, CPI(M) 2, and CPI 2. Political activity has intensified across the state, with parties exchanging charges and ramping up campaigns ahead of the election.
Kumar urged voters to actively participate, emphasising the democratic significance of voting in shaping Bihar’s future and reiterating the Election Commission’s commitment to facilitating smooth and fair elections.
Follow us
