Bihar polls on Nov 6, 11
Counting of votes and results on Nov 14
New Delhi: The Election Commission of India on Monday declared the schedule for the Bihar Assembly polls, which will take place in two phases on November 6 and 11. The counting of votes will take place on November 14. While declaring the dates, Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar said the polling process "will be a smooth and comfortable experience" for the electors. He said 1,044 polling stations across Bihar will be managed by women. The Bihar election is expected to be a direct contest between the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA), led by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, and INDIA bloc (Mahagathbandhan), headed by Tejashwi Yadav's Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD).
In the 243-member Assembly, the NDA currently holds 131 seats, BJP 80, JD(U) 45, HAM(S) 4, and two Independents, while the Mahagathbandhan has 111 seats, comprising RJD 77, Congress 19, CPI(ML) 11, CPI(M) 2 and CPI 2. Prashant Kishor - who orchestrated superb wins for Nitish Kumar and his Bengal counterpart Mamata Banerjee, whose state votes next year, as a poll strategist - will make his electoral debut this time with his own party, the Jan Suraaj that will contest all 243 seats in the state.
The Bihar elections will be the first after the Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, which deleted 68.5 lakh voters and added 21.5 lakh new names.
"The final voter's list after SIR has been given to all political parties. Post the date of nomination filing, the Voters' list, which is to be released, will be final," Gyanesh Kumar said. “No polling station will have more than 1,200 voters to ensure smoother voting,” he added. On Sunday, while briefing the media in Patna, the CEC said that booth-level officials will carry identity cards for easier identification and that voters’ mobile phones can be deposited outside the booth.
“Identity cards have been introduced for booth-level officials to better identify them when approaching voters. Mobile phones can be deposited in a room outside the booth. This process will be implemented throughout Bihar... There will be 100 per cent webcasting at every polling station,” the CEC added. The Election Commission has also revised its guidelines under Rule 49B of the Conduct of Elections Rules, 1961, for the design and printing of EVM ballot papers to enhance their clarity and readability. According to an official statement, the photographs of candidates will be printed in colour on the EVM ballot paper, and the candidate’s face will occupy three-fourths of the photo space for better visibility.
