New Delhi, Oct 6 (NationPress) The Bihar Assembly elections are set to take place in two phases on November 6 and 11, with the results slated for announcement on November 14, as confirmed by the Election Commission of India (ECI) on Monday.

In a press briefing, Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, along with Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi, referred to these elections as the “mother of all elections.”

He assured voters in Bihar that the elections would not only be exemplary and smooth but also the most peaceful due to heightened focus on maintaining law and order.

The elections in 2025 will mark the first in the eastern state after a thorough revision of the electoral rolls under a Special Intensive Revision (SIR), resulting in a final voters’ list of 7.43 crore electors, which includes 14 lakh first-time voters.

CEC Gyanesh Kumar provided insights into the SIR conducted after a gap of 22 years, indicating that the final electoral roll has been distributed to all political parties.

“The window for correcting electoral rolls remains open until 10 days before candidates file their nomination papers for the upcoming elections,” he stated.

The CEC also outlined the commission's strategies to combat any form of fake news, particularly on social media, on a district level to mitigate misinformation.

Additionally, he announced that each of the 243 constituencies will now have individual observers, contrasting with the previous system where one observer was responsible for multiple seats.

The announcement regarding the Bihar Assembly election schedule follows the conclusion of the poll panel’s review of electoral preparedness in the state, which included meetings with representatives from all major political parties and evaluations of logistical arrangements.

The current 243-member Bihar Assembly term concludes on November 22, necessitating that elections be conducted beforehand. The 2020 Bihar Assembly elections were executed in three phases.

Sources suggest that the schedule was meticulously devised to avoid clashes with significant festivals like Diwali and Chhath, which occur between October 18 and October 28, to ensure smooth polling and maximize voter turnout.

The upcoming 2025 elections are anticipated to be a highly competitive battle between the ruling alliance of the Bharatiya Janata Party and Janata Dal(United), and the opposition coalition dubbed the Mahagathbandhan, which is spearheaded by the Rashtriya Janata Dal and Congress.

Introducing a new competitor into the mix is Prashant Kishor’s Jan Suraaj Party, which is positioning itself as a viable alternative in Bihar’s political landscape.

In the last Assembly elections of 2020, the National Democratic Alliance obtained a majority with 125 seats, while the Mahagathbandhan secured 110. The RJD stood out as the single largest party with 75 seats. This election was particularly notable as it was the first major electoral exercise following the Covid-19 pandemic, achieving a voter turnout of 56.93 percent.

This year, the Election Commission is implementing changes to enhance the voting experience. Each polling booth will now accommodate 1,200 voters instead of 1,500, with an increase in the number of booths across the state. A total of 90,000 polling stations will be established by the poll panel.

This will necessitate additional deployment of Central Armed Police Forces to ensure security and facilitate smooth operations.