Did Bihar Set a New Electoral Record with Zero Repolls?
Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- Record voter turnout: 67.13 percent, highest ever in Bihar.
- No repolls: First time in Bihar’s electoral history.
- Significant female participation: 71.78 percent turnout among women.
- Successful reforms: Part of the Bihar First initiatives.
- Advanced technology: Real-time monitoring and updates through ECINet.
New Delhi, Nov 12 (NationPress) The Bihar Assembly Election 2025 has marked a historic achievement with a remarkable voter turnout of 67.13 percent, the highest ever seen in the state since Independence. The Election Commission of India (ECI) announced that there were no repolls in any constituency, a first in Bihar's electoral history.
In contrast, the Lok Sabha elections in 2014, 2019, and 2024 had 96, 3, and 2 repolls respectively, while the Bihar assembly elections in 2015 and 2020 saw 2 and 3 repolls.
This unprecedented achievement is attributed to the ECI's Bihar First initiatives, which comprise 17 focused reforms launched since March 2025 aimed at fostering free, fair, and inclusive elections.
Notably, female voter participation reached 71.78 percent, surpassing the 62.98 percent turnout among male voters.
Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, along with Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi, oversaw the polling process via webcasting across all 90,740 polling stations, as stated in the ECI’s press note.
The advanced digital infrastructure, supported by ECINet, facilitated real-time monitoring, voter assistance, and prompt data updates throughout the two-phase elections.
The ECI confirmed that the examination of poll documents across all 122 Assembly Constituencies was conducted seamlessly with the presence of Returning Officers, General Observers, and over 460 candidates or their agents.
No discrepancies or irregularities were reported, leading to the absence of any re-poll recommendations.
Among the significant reforms was the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) 2025, which updated the electoral roll to include 7.45 crore registered voters.
“SIR 2025 was executed with zero appeals to ensure a current and accurate Bihar Electoral Roll, confirming 7,45,26,858 electors were eligible to vote in the elections across two phases,” the ECI reported.
Other noteworthy initiatives comprised training Booth Level Officers at IIIDEM in Delhi, doubling honorariums for election staff, setting up mobile deposit facilities outside polling stations, and achieving complete webcasting to boost transparency.
Enhancements in EVM design, obligatory VVPAT counting protocols, and a voter-centric app under ECINet were also introduced for near real-time updates.