Bihar Election 2025 Date Live Updates: Bihar to vote in two phases on November 6 and 11; results on November 14

Bihar Election 2025 Date Live Updates: Anganwadi workers to verify burqa-clad voters at polling booths, says CEC Gyanesh Kumar

Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar stated that Anganwadi workers will be deployed at polling booths to assist in identifying voters, particularly those wearing burqas. He affirmed that this verification process will strictly follow the existing guidelines set by the Election Commission.

Responding to allegations of partiality, Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar said, “Being a constitutional institution, the Election Commission works under the Constitution, conducting national and state assembly elections. Due to decentralisation, local authorities prepare the electoral rolls, and the ERO takes the final call. If anyone has objections, they can file them with the District Magistrate and then the Chief Electoral Officer. Political parties should be active in this regard.”

He emphasised that there was “no case of partiality” as the entire process was transparent and participatory. “The people of Bihar have contributed to the SIR process. None of the voters had complaints, and if there were any, they were resolved by the EROs,” he said.

Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar said, " ECI has already taken a decision to conduct SIR throughout the country."

Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar said, “The Election Commission is leveraging technology during this election. We have added several new facilities without reducing the earlier ones. Elections in Bihar are like the mother of all elections — if it were a country, Bihar would probably rank as the 11th largest in terms of the number of voters.”

Union Minister Giriraj Singh said, "I believe that the dates and two-phase polls were announced by the EC after speaking with all parties.Formation of the NDA Government with more than 2/3 votes is certain."

He also says, "Rahul Gandhi executed a hit-and-run on SIR and ran away.It is the mercy of the Election Commission that they didn't file an FIR against him. Otherwise, case should have been registered against some people for spreading rumours."

Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar said, “Voters are advised to first check their names in the electoral roll, as any omissions can be corrected up to ten days before the nomination process. They should also verify their polling station details through ECI Net or consult their booth-level officers.”

Bihar to vote in two phases on 6th and 11th November, counting of votes on 14th November.

Deputy CM Vijay Kumar Sinha said, "Bihar election will be the mother of elections. It will set an example for the country. These elections will be a testament to the strength of democracy. This is the examination of mother of democracy and it will send a new message to the country."

Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar said, “We request all political parties to cooperate with the Election Commission in ensuring transparent elections. They should appoint polling booth agents at every booth, actively participate in the randomisation of EVMs and VVPATs, and remain vigilant at the strong room.”

Bihar Election 2025: ECI announces polling schedule; voting in two phases on Nov 6 and 11, counting of votes on Nov 14.

By-elections will be held in eight constituencies across Jammu and Kashmir, Rajasthan, Jharkhand, Telangana, Punjab, Mizoram and Odisha on November 11. The counting of votes is scheduled for November 14.

For the first time, one general observer for each of 243 constituencies; one police observer each for 38 districts: CEC Gyanesh Kumar.

Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar said, "Bihar assembly elections to be held in two phases - 6 and 11 November; Counting of votes on 14th November."

Bihar to vote in two phases on November 6 and 11; results on November 14

Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar said, "Remember, the entire election machinery of Bihar is just a call away in any need during the elections."

Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar said, "To maintain transparency, webcasting will be done from 100 per cent of the booths, compared to 50 per cent earlier. Previously, candidates were unhappy with their black-and-white photographs on EVMs; this time, their photos will be in colour, and the font size has also been increased."

The Election Commission has unveiled a one-stop digital platform to provide real-time voter turnout updates. Presiding officers will upload turnout data every two hours on polling day through the ECINET app, helping minimise delays in data reporting.

To ensure smoother polling, each station will now cater to a maximum of 1,200 voters, reducing crowding and queue times, with additional booths set up in densely populated or high-rise areas.

The Commission has also introduced mobile deposit counters outside polling stations, allowing voters to safely deposit their phones before entering the booth.

Patrolling by police using horses in 250 polling stations; polling parties to travel by boat in 197 polling stations:, says CEC Gyanesh.  Gyanesh Kumar also added, "Bihar has a total of 243 Assembly constituencies, of which 38 are reserved for Scheduled Castes and 2 for Scheduled Tribes. The total number of voters is approximately 7.42 crore, including 3.92 crore males and 3.5 crore females. There are about 4 lakh senior citizens and around 14,000 voters aged 100 years or above."

Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar said, “All officials have been instructed to work in an absolutely impartial manner and remain accessible to stakeholders. If any misinformation is found through any media house or individual, it will be countered by the Election Commission.”

Strict directives to administration for zero tolerance to any violence; no scope for any threat to voters or candidates, says CEC Gyanesh Kumar.

Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar said, "If anyone’s name has been left out, it can be added up to ten days before the nomination process. Once nominations are completed, the finalized voter list will be used for the elections, and no further names can be added. Recently, the entire Election Commission team, including all three commissioners, visited Bihar. After reviewing all aspects during the visit, it was decided that today we will announce the election dates for all voters and political parties in Bihar"

The Chief Election Commissioner, Gyanesh Kumar, wants to assure that the Bihar elections will be conducted in a transparent and peaceful manner.

The Election Commission data showed that there are 7.43 crore voters in Bihar, including 3.92 crore male voters and 3.51 female voters. There are 14 lakh first-time voters in the state.

Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar said Bihar will have a total of 90,712 polling stations, each equipped with webcasting facilities and help desks. He added that ramps will also be installed to assist elderly voters and persons with disabilities.

Before announcing the Bihar election schedule, Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar said, “The Special Intensive Revision (SIR) has sanitized the electoral rolls. All political parties and individuals were invited to file objections and claims once the draft was published. The final draft was published on September 30.”

Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar said, “After five years, the Bihar Assembly elections will once again take place on the sacred land of Bihar. The Election Commission, as a constitutional body, carries out its duties in two key phases — preparing electoral rolls and conducting the elections.”

Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar said," Today, we will announce dates for Bihar Legislative Assembly elections and Election Commission's preparations for it."

The Election Commission has begun its press conference to unveil the schedule for the 2025 Bihar Assembly elections.

This will be the first state election following the Commission’s Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls, which removed 68.5 lakh voters and added 21.5 lakh new ones.

Election Commission of India set to announce poll schedule for 2025 Bihar Legislative Assembly elections

On the Election Commission announcing the Bihar election schedule today, former Jharkhand CM and BJP leader Champai Soren said, "The full election list will be released soon. The NDA alliance is very strong in Bihar. The BJP is expected to achieve a historic victory this time."

Minister Ashok Choudhary said, "As expected, since the team had visited here and it was anticipated that they would hold a press conference, we are following our expectations and awaiting the official information to be released soon"

"This is a huge welcome for Patna. Everyone used to meet and never even imagined that Patna could have a metro. Those who used to go to Delhi or Lucknow thought that a metro in Patna was impossible. Today, Nitish Kumar has fulfilled the dream of all those people. Therefore, on behalf of the people of Patna, we sincerely thank Nitish Kumar"

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has released its initial list of candidates for the upcoming Bihar Assembly elections. This first list includes 11 candidates. The party also announced that it plans to contest the elections alone on all 243 seats.

Samajwadi Party MP Awadhesh Prasad on Monday expressed his hopes that the Election Commission of India (ECI) will strictly enforce the right to vote and conduct free and fair elections.

"I hope the Election Commission will strictly enforce the right to vote given to the people in the Constitution. The Constitution will be protected, democracy will be protected, and I hope the Election Commission will conduct free and fair elections... I hope the voters will initiate the change of power," Awadhesh Prasad told ANI.

"It's an announcement from the BJP office by the BJP people. They are trying to 'bribe' the people of Bihar during this Chhath festival. The first phase will be just after the Chhath puja; they want to benefit from the 'bribe' they have given to the people. They cannot win elections without using wrong means..." says Purnia MP Pappu Yadav.

RJD spokesperson Mritunjay Tiwari says, "It is the duty of the Election Commission to act responsibly and transparently, ensuring free and fair elections. They will receive full cooperation from us. Bihar is the cradle of democracy. If the Election Commission works under government pressure, follows someone’s remote control, tries to snatch away people’s right to vote, or deprives anyone of it, strong resistance will follow through public movements..."

Congress MP Akhilesh Prasad Singh on Monday said that his party welcomes EC’s step to announce polls today. He added, “….and (we) hope that the upcoming elections in Bihar are free and fair, allowing the underprivileged and marginalized to exercise their right to vote—this is their responsibility…”

JDU leader Rajiv Ranjan Prasad says, "The long wait of the people of Patna is about to end. Under the leadership of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, undoubtedly, big decisions have been taken for the state. The metro is a major link in that series. Today, this dream of the people of Patna is going to be realised. This will also reduce the traffic problem in Patna to a great extent..."

A report by Indian Express suggested that the polls could be held in fewer phases. The term of the 243-member state assembly ends on November 22. The 2020 Assembly election was held in three phases.

The 243-member Assembly currently has the NDA holding 131 seats, BJP 80, JD(U) 45, HAM(S) 4, and 2 Independents, while the Mahagathbandhan holds 111 seats, comprising RJD 77, Congress 19, CPI(ML) 11, CPI(M) 2, and CPI 2.

Chief Minister Nitish Kumar is set to inaugurate the first phase of the Patna Metro rail service today. The inaugural stretch, part of the Blue Line, will run from the Inter-State Bus Terminal (ISBT) to Bhoothnath, covering three important stations : Patliputra ISBT, Zero Mile, and Bhoothnath. The launch event will begin at 11 am from the Patliputra Bus Depot, with Deputy Chief Ministers Samrat Choudhary and Vijay Kumar Sinha also in attendance. However, passenger services will start from tomorrow.

Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) spokesperson Manoj Pandey  said the party is demanding 12 seats in the upcoming Bihar Assembly elections. He added that two senior JMM leaders will meet the Bihar LoP and RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav to discuss the seat allocation.

Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar said SIR in Bihar led to purification of voters' list after 22 years, adding that, Supreme Court has stated that Aadhaar card is not a proof of citizenship or DoB.

On jailed individuals filing nominations, Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar says, "The Election Commission decides this based on the laws framed by Parliament, what is permissible, and the rights the Election Commission holds under the Constitution."

Addressing a press conference, Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar says, "Only 1,200 voters will be allowed at each booth during Bihar polls."

Kumar, speaking at the press conference today, said the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) in Bihar began on June 24, 2025, and was completed ahead of the scheduled deadline.

He added that booth-level officers (BLOs), who worked tirelessly during the process, were provided remuneration to recognise their efforts and keep them motivated.

CEC Kumar provided key details on the upcoming Assembly elections, noting that the state has 243 constituencies, including 2 reserved for Scheduled Tribes (STs) and 38 for Scheduled Castes (SCs).

He said, “The term of the Bihar Legislative Assembly ends on November 22, 2025, and elections will be held before that time.”

Kumar added that the EC trained booth-level officers for the first time to ensure smooth polling.

He also noted that the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral rolls was launched on June 24, and completed within the scheduled timeline.

CEC Gyanesh Kumar praised the efforts of Bihar’s booth-level officers in updating and cleansing the voter list ahead of the upcoming assembly elections.

Speaking at a review meeting, Kumar said, “Recently, the voter list cleansing work was carried out in Bihar, and the booth-level officers not only updated the lists in their respective booths but also set an exemplary standard for the entire country. A total of 90,217 booth-level officers in Bihar performed work that is exemplary nationwide.”

The Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) has formally demanded 12 seats in the upcoming Bihar Assembly elections, party spokesperson Manoj Pandey said today.

Pandey added that two senior JMM leaders are scheduled to meet Bihar Leader of the Opposition and RJD chief Tejashwi Yadav to discuss seat-sharing arrangements.

The Bihar unit of the BJP on Saturday held a three-hour review meeting of its Election Committee at the party office, focusing on the performance of current MLAs and potential candidates.

The meeting was attended by all 18 committee members, including Union Minister and state election in-charge Dharmendra Pradhan.

Bihar BJP President Dilip Jaiswal said the discussion covered around 60 sitting seats, with plans to review remaining constituencies and previously lost seats in subsequent meetings.

Ahead of the Assembly elections, the Bihar BJP has called on the ECI to ensure robust checks so that only genuine voters exercise their franchise.

The party specifically sought verification of the identity of ‘parda nasheen’ (burqa-clad) women at polling booths.

Political parties in Bihar on Saturday unanimously urged the ECI to schedule the upcoming Assembly elections soon after the Chhath festival and conduct them in the minimum number of phases possible.

The demand was raised during the poll panel’s first day of a two-day review visit to the state to assess poll preparedness.

Party representatives said holding elections immediately after Chhath would be convenient for voters and candidates alike, while fewer phases would ease the burden of extended campaigning.

Chhath, one of Bihar’s most significant festivals, will be celebrated from October 25 to 28 this year, six days after Diwali. Since many residents working outside the state return home for the festivities, parties believe this period will see maximum voter participation.

CEC Gyanesh Kumar on Saturday urged political parties in Bihar to “celebrate the upcoming Assembly elections in a festive spirit” while ensuring full participation in the democratic process.

Highlighting the importance of political participation, the CEC reminded parties that they are “significant stakeholders in a strong democracy” and should remain actively involved “at every stage of the election process.”

He also stressed the need for parties to appoint polling and counting agents and to join voters in celebrating the elections “wholeheartedly, in a festive spirit.”

The previous Assembly polls in 2020 were conducted in three phases amid the COVID-19 pandemic.