Bihar Assembly election dates likely to be announced soon, CEC Gyanesh Kumar to visit state

Preparations for the Bihar Assembly elections have intensified. Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar is likely to visit Bihar after September 30, accompanied by all election commissioners, to review the state’s poll preparedness, News18Hindi reported. This indicates that election dates could be announced any time after September 30.

The report suggests that the final electoral list will be published after the special intensive revision (SIR) of the electoral lists on September 30. Soon after, the Chief Election Commissioner is expected to visit Bihar and announce the poll schedule.

The Election Commission plans to hold the Bihar Assembly elections between Durga Puja and Diwali, with voting likely to take place between October 2 and 29. This time, the elections are expected to be held in two or three phases, the report said. Political activity has intensified, with parties preparing for elections and discussions already underway on candidate selection.
In 2020, the Election Commission announced the dates for the Bihar Assembly elections on September 25, with polling to be held in three phases counting from November 10. The Bihar Assembly has a total of 243 seats. Currently, the NDA holds the majority, although its strength has declined compared to 2020.

The ruling National Democratic Alliance has 132 MLAs and the opposition Mahagathbandhan has 110 members in the Assembly.

The Commission clarified that the electoral process will be completed before the deadline of November 22. With this assurance, political parties intensified their preparations, holding back-to-back strategy meetings from Patna to Delhi. An intense and close competition is expected.