Bihar first state to have 1200 voters at each polling booth, says CEC Gyanesh Kumar in Patna

Addressing voters, the CEC urged active participation in the elections, likening voting to the festive spirit of Chhath Puja.

Bihar has become the first state in India where every polling booth will cater to fewer than 1,200 voters. On Sunday, the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar reiterated the announcement during a press conference in Patna, as the Election Commission of India (ECI) reviewed preparations for the upcoming Bihar Assembly elections.

To implement this change, the Election Commission has added 12,817 new polling stations across the state, increasing the total number from 77,895 to 90,712. The earlier ceiling of 1,500 voters per polling station has now been revised to 1,200 under the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral rolls.

According to ECI, the objective is to make voting more convenient and minimise long queues at booths.

CEC Gyanesh Kumar announced that the Bihar Assembly elections will be held before November 22 when the term of the current Legislative Assembly ends.

CEC Kumar also reiterated that Special Intensive Revision in Bihar (SIR), concluded before the upcoming election, is in accordance with the law.

Bihar has a total of 243 assembly constituencies, including 2 reserved for Scheduled Tribes and 38 for Scheduled Castes.

Urging citizens to actively participate in the democratic process, Kumar likened the act of voting to the state’s most beloved festival.

“I greet all the voters of India and Bihar. I urge all the voters of Bihar to cast their vote and celebrate the election day just like we celebrate our Chhath Puja festival,” he said.

The announcement came during the second day of the ECI’s two-day visit to Bihar, which included meetings with the state police administration, heads of enforcement agencies, and nodal officers. The discussions focused on ensuring free, fair, and inducement-free elections, with emphasis on law and order, polling infrastructure, voter awareness, and the training of election personnel.

District officials have been directed to monitor social media closely to prevent misinformation and take prompt legal action where necessary.

The Commission also met representatives of recognised national and state political parties, including the AAP, BSP, BJP, CPI(M), Congress, NPP, CPI(ML-L), JD(U), LJP (Ram Vilas), RJD, and RLJP, to seek their suggestions.

Some parties requested that polls be held after Chhath Puja to allow maximum voter participation, while JD(U) state president Umesh Singh Kushwaha suggested conducting elections in a single phase to facilitate voters returning from outside the state.

In the 2020 Assembly elections, polling was conducted in three phases amid the COVID-19 pandemic.