News Brief
Bihar Assembly Elections To Be Completed Before 22 November, Says CEC Gyanesh Kumar
CEC Gyanesh Kumar (Credit: X account Spokesperson ECI)
Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar confirmed that Bihar will go to polls before 22 November, the day when the tenure of the current Assembly officially concludes.
Speaking at a press briefing in Patna after the Commission’s two-day review visit, Kumar outlined several reforms and logistical upgrades being rolled out by the poll panel.
"These elections will be completed before November 22," the CEC was quoted as saying by IE.
He added that the full Commission has reviewed all aspects of preparedness to ensure free, fair and timely elections in the state.
Among the major new changes in the polling process includes lowering the voter limit per polling station from 1,500 to 1,200 to avoid long queues and ease congestion.
"Earlier, long queues used to form, especially during the final hours of polling. This change is aimed at cutting congestion and reducing waiting times," Kumar said.
Polling stations will also feature mobile phone deposit counters, allowing voters to safely deposit their phones before entering and retrieve them post-voting.
Kumar said the system was successfully piloted in recent bypolls and will now be expanded statewide.
Voter Information Slips will now carry larger serial and part numbers for better readability and quicker processing.
Additionally, BLAs and BLOs have received advanced training at Delhi’s IIIDEM and all BLOs will now have uniform photo IDs to improve public trust and accessibility.
Kumar also announced the launch of the ECINET dashboard — a digital platform integrating 40 key election forms — to reduce administrative burdens and make the process more seamless for all voters and the stakeholders.
The permissible canvassing distance for parties has been reduced to 100 metres from the polling station gate.
For the first time, every polling station in Bihar will have live webcasting to enhance transparency.
Postal ballots will be counted before the final two EVM counting rounds, and presiding officers must share Form 17C — containing booth-wise voter data — with party agents before departing the station.
Voter IDs and candidate lists will feature improved visuals — larger serial numbers and coloured candidate photographs — to strengthen voter awareness.
CEC Gyanesh Kumar, along with Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi, reached Patna on Friday (3 October) evening for a detailed two-day assessment of election preparations.
On 4 October, the panel met representatives from major political outfits — BJP, Congress, RJD, JD(U), AAP, and others — to gather feedback and suggestions on the upcoming polls.
Several parties urged the Commission to hold elections post-Chhath festival and limit them to fewer phases to boost voter turnout.
Calling political parties “significant stakeholders in a strong democracy”, Kumar appealed to them to participate fully by deploying polling and counting agents across booths.
The Commission subsequently reviewed election readiness with senior administrative and police officials, focusing on EVM management, logistics, law and order, training, and social media vigilance.
Officers were directed to address complaints swiftly and act without bias.
On 5 October, the team met with nodal officers of enforcement agencies and later met senior officials, including the Chief Secretary and DGP, before concluding their review with a press briefing outlining Bihar’s poll readiness.
