Bihar Elections 2025: Voting on Nov 6 and 11, counting on Nov 14 | Check key dates and complete poll schedule

File Image - An election official applies indelible ink mark on the index finger on a woman voter during the fourth phase of general election, on the outskirts of Samastipur, Bihar on May 13, 2024.

The Assembly polls in Bihar will be held in two phases on November 6 and 11, and the counting of votes will be taken up on November 14, the Election Commission announced on Monday.

"Bihar elections will be held in two phases on November 6 and 11. Counting of votes will be done on November 14," Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar said at the press conference.

"It is mandatory to complete counting of postal ballots before last two rounds of counting of votes," he added.

In the 2020 Bihar Assembly polls, voting took place in three phases. The current Assembly’s 243-seat term ends on November 22. The announcement comes a day after the three Election Commissioners returned from their October 4–5 visit to the state to review preparations.

Here is the complete schedule of the Bihar Assembly Elections 2025:

Date of issue gazette notification: Phase 1 – October 10 | Phase 2 – October 13

Late date for nominations: Phase 1 – October 17 | Phase 2 – October 20

Date of scrutiny of nominations: Phase 1 – October 18 | Phase 2 – October 21

Last date for withdrawal of candidature: Phase 1 – October 20 | Phase 2 – October 23

Date of poll: Phase 1 – November 6 | Phase 2 – November 11

Date of counting: November 14

Date before which election shall be completed: November 16

Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, during the press conference, stated that the total number of voters in the state stands at 7.43 crore, comprising 3.92 crore male and 3.5 crore female voters.

The Bihar elections will be the first Assembly polls after the Election Commission (EC) launched a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls on June 24. Unlike recent years, the EC prepared the rolls afresh, deleting 68.5 lakh voters and adding 21.53 lakh, raising the total to nearly 7.42 crore electors. The SIR has been challenged in the Supreme Court.

The upcoming Bihar polls will pit the ruling NDA government, led by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, against the Opposition alliance of the RJD and Congress. In the 2020 elections, the RJD had secured 75 seats to become the single largest party, while the BJP and JD(U) together claimed 117 seats. Two new players in the fray this time are Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party and Prashant Kishor’s Jan Suraaj.