3-phase poll to start from first week of November

Election Commission is likely to schedule Bihar polls from first week of November

• The Bihar Assembly Elections 2025 are likely to be held in three phases from the first week of November, according to the draft proposal prepared by the Election Commission.
• According to sources, the Election Commission is likely to announce the schedule of the much-awaited Bihar Assembly elections in the first week of October.
• "The elections are likely to kick-start around a week after the Chhath Pooja celebrations, which will be over on October 28, and expected to be wrapped up in three phases, as per the EC's proposed plan," sources confirmed.
• The tenure of the 243-member Bihar Assembly expires on 22nd November and the elections have to be completed before that.
• Back in 2020, the Bihar Assembly elections were held in three phases, i.e., 28th October, 3rd November, and 7th November. The results came out on 10th November.

EVMs to have coloured photos of candidates

• Starting from the Bihar elections, EVMs will now contain coloured photographs of candidates.
• The candidate’s face will occupy three-fourths of the photo space allotted on the EVM ballot paper for better visibility.
• According to the Election Commission of India, serial numbers of candidates/NOTA option will also be printed in the international form of Indian numerals.
• The font size has been decided to be 30 and in bold for added clarity. For the poll, pink-coloured paper of specified ‘RGB values’ will be used.

Final voters’ list to be published on 30th September

• According to schedule of the ongoing special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in the state, the final voters’ list will be published on 30th September, after all claims and objections received by the EC for inclusion and exclusion of names are addressed.
• EC sources had earlier stated the electoral rolls would be ready to come out after the last date for filing of nominations for the upcoming Bihar Assembly Elections 2025 since by that time, all new voters, who would turn 18, would also be included in the list.

Congress-led opposition accuses EC of being in cahoots with the BJP-led Centre

• The much-awaited Bihar Assembly Elections 2025 are being held under the shadow of the controversy which emerged after the Election Commission decided to conduct SIR in the state.
• The poll panel had said the exercise was necessary to make sure no eligible citizen was left out and at the same time, no ineligible person was added to the electoral rolls, which were last updated back in 2003.
• Opposing the SIR, Congress-led opposition accused the Election Commission of being in cahoots with the BJP-led Centre to get the names of poor, Dalit and migrant voters removed to benefit the ruling party.
• Congress leader Rahul Gandhi also went on a ‘Vote Adhikar Yatra’ in Bihar to generate awareness among the people concerning what the party has alleged as “vote theft”.
• On 31st August, the Congress even said that 89 lakh complaints had been filed with the EC and possessed stamped receipts as evidence, while the EC claimed that there were “zero complaints” against the SIR in Bihar by the party.
• According to EC sources, the complaints had not been sent in the proper format which is why they were not recorded.
• By 1st September, which was the last date for filing claims and objections against the electoral rolls in Bihar by common voters and political parties, more than two lakh voters had given applications for removal of names.
• The CPI (ML) (Liberation) had submitted 103 applications for removal of names from the rolls.
• Even the ruling party BJP, on the last day had submitted 16 applications for removal of names from Bihar’s electoral rolls while the RJD had given 10 applications for inclusion of names.

Editor’s Note

• As the Bihar Assembly Elections 2025 will be held in three phases, it will give time to the Election Commission to ensure fair elections. With the SIR being carried out in Bihar, the Congress-led opposition accused the Election Commission of being in cahoots with the BJP-led Centre. With rising tensions, it will be interesting to see how the elections are carried out and whether or not we get fair elections.
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