New Delhi: The assembly elections in Bihar will be held in two phases, polling for which will be held on November 6 and 11, while the counting of votes will be done on November 14, Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar announced on Monday. The entire election process will be concluded by November 16, reports PTI.
"Bihar elections will be held in two phases on November 6 and 11. Counting of votes will be done on November 14," Kumar said at a press conference.
"It is mandatory to complete counting of postal ballots before the last two rounds of counting of votes," he added.
The 2025 elections are expected to see a fierce contest between the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party–Janata Dal(United) alliance and the opposition Mahagathbandhan, led by the Rashtriya Janata Dal and the Congress. Prashant Kishor’s Jan Suraaj Party is also seeking to position itself as an alternative force in Bihar politics.
In the 2020 Assembly polls, the National Democratic Alliance won 125 seats, while the Mahagathbandhan secured 110. The RJD emerged as the single largest party with 75 seats. That election, held amid the Covid-19 pandemic, recorded a voter turnout of 56.93 per cent. For this year’s polls, the Election Commission has introduced measures to improve the voting process. Each booth will now cater to 1,200 voters instead of 1,500, leading to an increase in the number of polling stations. This will also require additional deployment of Central Armed Police Forces to maintain security and ensure the smooth conduct of elections. Political parties in the state are now preparing for an intense campaign.