Bihar Assembly Elections 2025: Bihar will go to the polls on November 6 and 11, in a marathon two-phase exercise to elect members of the 243-seat Assembly. Meanwhile, the counting of votes is scheduled to be held on November 14, 2025. Chief Election Commission Gyanesh Kumar announced the poll schedule for the Bihar elections today at a press conference in Vigyan Bhawan, Delhi.
In the first phase, 121 seats will go to the polls on November 6, while in the second phase, 122 seats will go to the polls on November 11. The polls, which come right after the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral rolls. “17 new initiatives have been successfully implemented in Bihar, some will be implemented in the conduct of elections, and some in counting… Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) are responsible for preparing the voter list. In Bihar, there is an ERO in each of the 243 assembly constituencies. Together, they, alonG with 243 EROs and 90,207 BLOs, completed the task of cleansing the voter list after nearly 22 years…,” CEC Gyanesh Kumar said.
What Are The 17 New Initiatives Announced By ECI?
- Training of booth-level agents: BLAs (appointed by Political Parties) were trained in various aspects of supporting the process of preparing electoral rolls, including the use of the appeals provision under the RP Act 1950.
- Training of booth-level officers: Over 7,000 BLOs and BLO Supervisors from across India,, including Bihar trained at IIIDEM, New Delhi.
- Training of police officers: Special sessions conducted for the Bihar police to reinforce law-and-order preparedness during elections.
- Special Intensive Revision in Bihar: Purification of Electoral Roll in Bihar to ensure no eligible Elector is left out and no ineligible person is included.
- Enhanced Remuneration for officials: Remuneration doubled for BLOS, enhanced for BLO Supervisors and for polling/counting staff, CAPF, monitoring teams and micro-observers. Honorarium provided for EROs and AEROs for the first time. Provision for refreshments also enhanced.
- Free delivery of EPIC: New SOP to ensure EPIC Delivery within 15 days of an update in the Electoral Roll, with SMS notification at each stage of delivery.
- Photo ID Cards for BLOs: Standard Identity Cards issued to BLOs to enhance field level transparency and public trust.
- Mobile Deposit Facility at Polling Stations: Counters introduced just outside polling stations for depositing mobile phones by voters.
- Clearer Voter Information Slip (VIS): Serial and part numbers are displayed prominently for easier verification of voters.
- One-stop Digital Platform: Many Important services on ECINet App, near-real-time voter Turnout Updates -Presiding Officers to now upload turnout data on ECINET App every two hours on polling day to reduce the time lag in the updating of the approximate polling trends.
- Polling Station Limit of 1,200 voters: Ensures reduced crowding, shorter queues, and additional booths in high-rise residential complexes and societies.
- Candidate booths allowed just outside 100 metres of Polling Station: Booths by the candidates on poll day for issuing unofficial identity slips to electors can be set up just beyond 100 meters of any Polling Station
- 100% Webcasting at Polling Stations: Monitoring to ensure that critical activities take place smoothly without any violation of the poll process.
- EVM Ballot Paper Guidelines Revised: ECI revises guidelines to make EVM Ballot Papers more readable, EVMs to have colour photographs of candidates for the first time
- Mandatory VVPAT count for mismatches: Count for mismatches VVPAT slip counting in each case of mismatch between Form 17C and EVM data, and wherever mock poll data was not erased erroneously.
- Streamlining Counting of Postal Ballots: Penultimate (second last) round of EVM/VVPATs counting shall be taken up only after the counting of Postal Ballot Papers.
- Digital Index Cards and Reports: Technology-driven system to promote accessibility of election-related data at the constituency level for all stakeholders.
ALSO READ: EC announces Bypolls for 8 Assembly seats in 7 States – Check voting and counting dates
